ZELDA II: The Adventure of Link
by jak981125
Summary: A novelization of the Zelda II story with a unique perspective. The final chapter is up. See the ultimate fate of Hyrule as Link fights his final battle.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda games and characters are copyrighted intellectual property of Nintendo. 

ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK

By: jak981125

© 2006

HYRULE 1257 AD

I'm quite certain the story you are about to read deviates almost entirely from the actual Zelda storyline. In fact I'm almost completely unfamiliar with it. Well I for one don't care. Do you? I'll ignore those one or two hardcore Zelda geeks that said yes. I have my own story to tell. Let's get this show on the road, shall we? Let's go back a bit…

Throughout time and space there have existed many tangents, many alternate realities. Hyrule was one such tangent in which nobody we would describe as "human" existed. Rather, we might refer to the dominant race as "elves" in our language.

Hyrule existed on a planet slightly smaller that ours with a warmer climate and nearly equal gravity. Hyrule itself could be described as somewhat of a Pangaea, a super continent which had yet to drift. This Pangaea was by no means the only continent but it was the largest. It was divided by an enormous mountain range which was given the fitting title "Death Mountain". The people who occupied the lands to the south of this range had little contact with those who lived to the north. The passages through this range were few and quite dangerous. Those who survived the landslides were often killed by the monsters that inhabited these mountains.

It was from these mountains that the ancient demon Ganon and his minions first emerged seeking the legendary power of the Triforce. Zelda, princess of Southern Hyrule, was helpless to stop the onslaught as her father was murdered, her people enslaved, and her lands burned. The Triforce of Power, the most ancient and enchanted artifact of Hyrule, was stolen by Ganon's troops when they sacked the capital. Obviously it would be only a matter of time before the Triforce of Wisdom suffered the same fate if something was not done quickly. The individual Triforces gave off great power but they were useless unless they were whole. Ganon had already gained great strength from one. Zelda was determined that he would not get the other lest he become unstoppable. Her plan was to divide the second Triforce into several pieces and hide them, thus rendering it powerless. Zelda had her bravest knights scatter these throughout the kingdom. No doubt these knights died fulfilling their quests.

It was during this time that Impa, Zelda's old nursemaid, first encountered Link, a young lad from the Western Islands. By that time Zelda had been captured already. Impa had fled from the capital to seek allies in other kingdoms. She had not gotten far before she found herself surrounded by Moblins. Link had sprung out of the woods armed only with a crudely-made wooden shield and a hunting knife. He easily killed the Moblins and carried Impa to the nearest Inn. He hadn't even had a sword on him at the time. The kid was a natural born fighter.

Link was a very cocky lad of fourteen with quite the attitude problem. He had left his homeland and when asked why he would only say that he was bored as hell with island life. It would be a gross understatement to say that he was strong and brave (or possibly reckless) for his years. Nevertheless, Impa certainly never suspected her young rescuer would actually be the hope that she so desperately sought.

Impa was old, tired and injured and she could proceed no further. Try as she might, she was completely unable to talk young Link out of seeking the life of Ganon. The boy seemed compelled to seek out challenges (particularly if the challenge involved violence).

As the weeks passed, Impa was proven wrong. Link was not only tougher than he looked, but he was bright too. Instead of single-handedly trying to take on Ganon's entire army (which is what he bragged that he would do), Link went on carefully executed midnight raids of demonic strongholds. Each time he'd return to Impa with more and more pieces of the Triforce. He talked a big game but he was no fool. It wasn't until Link had recovered the eighth piece that one of Ganon's generals betrayed him. He told Link exactly how to defeat him. He even told him where the silver arrows could be found.

As Link set out that one last time, Impa once again felt certain she would never see him alive again. Two weeks later, she was astounded to see him return with Zelda, both Triforces, and an army of reinforcements from the north who had been long delayed. It was a miracle.

TWO YEARS LATER

Link was numb. Why was this happening? What was he doing here? The loud organ music playing inside the cathedral was enough to make him want to kill someone. A sympathetic pat on the shoulder from Impa did nothing to calm his mood. He shouldn't have come. As Zelda entered the back of the cathedral in the most beautiful wedding gown anyone had ever seen, Link couldn't even make himself stand up. The unfairness of it all nearly crushed him. This should have been his wedding. But it wasn't.

People of royalty are never free to marry the ones they love. Zelda had been betrothed to a Prince from the Western Islands by means of a treaty when she was only two. Even a princess cannot change the law. She was to marry this chump (who was now a king) and become queen of the Western Islands while her little brother Fabian (who was only twelve) would be crowned King of Hyrule. Given a choice she would have certainly married Link and the two of them would have reigned over the land. Given a choice she would have cut off all diplomatic relations with the Western Islands who sat back and did nothing when Hyrule called for aid in the war against Ganon. The choice was not hers. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Link as she passed him on her way to the altar.

Link was so disgusted that he was about to stand up and leave when he found himself nearly tackled by Impa and forced back into his seat. "Gees granny, take it easy on me, will ya?" whispered Link with a grin. "You sure are strong for an old lady, you know that?"

"I've known the bride since the day she was born. I'll be as strong as a lion to prevent anyone from ruining her wedding," replied Impa in an irritated tone.

"You call this a wedding?" replied Link. "No, this is a public exercise in governmental stupidity. It is sheer stupidity that forces a girl who is so young and full of life to leave the man she loves and marry some royal pompous bastard at no benefit to her own kingdom."

"Gees, and I was worried you might be bitter," snickered Impa. "Link, you know I would do anything to change what is happening right now but I can't. You've grown so much in strength and character since I met you. Well it wouldn't kill you to gain some maturity too."

At that moment there was an earsplitting crash as an enormous Lynel smashed through the doors of the church and thundered down the main aisle of the sanctuary straight towards Zelda. Link immediately drew his sword and jumped nearly twenty feet through the air landing directly on the monster's back. The Lynel bucked like a rodeo bronco trying to throw him off but to no avail. Link thrust his sword straight into its back killing it instantly. In the middle of the commotion the incident had caused, the groom grabbed Zelda and held her tight.

"Oh my darling Zelda," he began in a tone devoid of all sincerity, "I don't know how I'd l go on living if that nasty creature had gotten to you. It was so fortunate that dirty little peasant boy was there." This last remark was directed right at Link who had run up to see if Zelda was OK but stopped short when the groom embraced her. It was almost as if the groom was rubbing it in on both their accounts. He knew damn well Zelda didn't want to marry him and he was loving every minute of her misery as well as Link's. Truly a sadist, this one.

This was too much for Link to take. Grabbing the groom and pulling him loose from Zelda, he clocked him square in the forehead knocking him out cold. It wasn't quite as satisfying as he had hoped it would be. First of all, the palace guards grabbed him immediately. Second of all, his hand hurt far more that he imagined that it would. Third, and worst of all, as they took him away he saw tears roll down Zelda's cheeks and an agonized look on her face.

As Link sat in the dungeon, his hand ached horribly. He was amazed that the pain was so severe. After an hour or so he could hear shouts in the street and knew the wedding was over and the "happy couple" was making their first public appearance.

"Alright, I'll admit it was thrilling beyond words to see that jackass get his face rearranged like that. I wish I'd had a chance to hit him myself."

Link turned his head. He hadn't even noticed Impa come in.

"You still should have restrained yourself though," she continued. "If not for your own sake than at least for Zelda's."

"I would have thought she'd be thrilled," said Link with a grin.

"Well she wasn't, you twit!" replied Impa angrily. "Today was hard enough on her without you making it worse. The groom tried to demand that you be publicly flogged. From a diplomatic standpoint it wouldn't have been a half bad idea considering you assaulted a foreign dignitary in the middle of a ceremony intended to strengthen relations between his nation and ours. Lucky for you a twelve-year-old has no mind for diplomacy." Impa pulled a scroll out of her robe. "By order of his royal majesty King Fabian XVI you are hereby pardoned."

"Heck of a title for a little rugrat like Fabian," grinned Link as the guard unlocked his cell. "Well I suppose I should go and apologize to Zelda."

"Sorry Casanova," replied Impa. "But after that little stunt you pulled the prince decided to set sail right away."

"What? You mean I don't even get to say goodbye to the woman I love? I'll probably never see her again!" Link was furious.

"Like I said," replied Impa coolly. "Wouldn't hurt you a bit to learn some maturity. Oh, by the way, you have also been formally banished from the land of your birth. The people of the Western Islands tend to frown on people punching their monarchs."

"So what?" grumbled Link. "It wasn't like I was too eager to go back home anyway. Nobody there understood me."

"Nobody here understands you either," replied Impa. "I sure don't. You're sixteen, you've never had any combat training in your life aside from what you've taught yourself, and somehow you're the best swordsman on this continent. And yet you have no worthwhile passion. The boy who never held a sword before in his life defeats Ganon within three months and yet in so many ways there's been no great change in you at all. I wish my father was still alive. He would have straightened you out. Why in his time…"

"In his time dinosaurs probably lived next door," interrupted Link. Impa grinned and slapped his him upside the head. "Ow! Gees granny, why are you always so violent with me? All I said was…"

Link couldn't continue. A searing pain shot through his hand. During his travels he had been gored by a Stalfos' sword, experienced a third degree burn, and had his skull fractured but none of that pain even compared to what he was feeling right now.

"I gotta go…" he stammered.

"Link what's wrong?" asked Impa. "Are you OK? I can get you some red water if you're hurt…" Impa didn't get a chance to finish. Link screamed out in pain so loud that half the kingdom probably heard him. He passed out.

In his unconscious state, visions haunted his troubled mind. He dreamed of times long ago, of kings, wizards, demons, and throughout it all the power of the Triforce was dominant over all political forces in Hyrule. But instead of two Triforces, he kept seeing three in his mind…

And the voice… He felt some consciousness with no physical voice of its own calling out to him. And for the first time in his life, he really truly listened. Whatever or whoever it was, the soul reaching out to him appealed to him so very much. I can't quite put the experience into words.

Just as suddenly as he had passed out, Link awoke and sat bolt upright. The pain was gone and he was lying in a strange bed in a room in the palace he had never seen before. Looking at the window, he could see it was midday. In the corner of the room sat Impa knitting. She looked up and noticed Link was awake.

"Where am I?" asked Link.

"In my room," replied Impa.

"How long was I out?"

"Two weeks."

"Impossible," muttered Link. All of the sudden he noticed how hungry and thirsty he was. He noticed something else too.

"Chamber pot's in the next room," said Impa, predicting exactly what that panicked look on Link's face meant.

Link had never had to go so badly in his life. As he unleashed Niagra Falls he noticed his hand was bandaged. Staggering back into the other room (well what did you expect after two weeks in bed?), he was about to question Impa further when he saw an attendant drop off a tray of food and water.

"Don't talk," ordered Impa. "Eat. Drink. There will be time to talk later."

"You're a bossy old lady, you know that?" replied Link. But he complied. After such a long fast he felt nauseated trying to eat now, even though he was starved.

Impa sighed. "Ganon thought he was clever," she said more to herself than to anyone else. She gazed over at Link. "He knew Zelda's plans before she even made them. He knew those knights would put those pieces of the Triforce in the underground bunkers that the army had built throughout Hyrule during the last war. They seemed to be the most secure places in all the land. He knew competitors of his; demons such as Aquamentus and Gleeok, would invade those bunkers and try to claim pieces for themselves. He saw everything in his mind months before he made his first move. And yet he never set one foot out of his lair to seek these pieces. Do you know why that was, Link?"

"Cause he was a coward," replied Link with his mouth full.

"No dummy," said Impa. "Because he had foreseen that some impulsive fool like you would come looking for him. He'd just sit back and wait for you to come and then slay you and follow your scent back to the reassembled Triforce. He didn't think you had a chance. Neither did I. But it all makes sense now."

Link stopped eating. "What are you babbling on about?"

"I'm talking about this!" Impa pulled the bandage off of Link's right hand to reveal a strange mark shaped like three Triforces assembled together. "Ganon never had a chance," muttered Impa. "I always thought a native of Hyrule would be the chosen one. I never would have guessed it would be someone born on foreign soil."

"Will you please tell me what you're talking about?"

"What does this mark look like to you?" asked Impa.

"Looks like three Triforces," replied Link. "Are we playing twenty questions here or something?"

"And yet there are only two Triforces," continued Impa. "There is Wisdom and there is Power. So how can this be?" She looked at Link intently. "You saw it in your dream, didn't you?" Link nodded. "The third Triforce, the Triforce of Courage. Only my family knows about it. Not even Zelda has a clue this thing exists. We must go at once."

Impa got up and practically dragged Link to the door. Link shook himself loose from her grasp. "I'm not going anywhere until you start making some sense you crazy old bat!"

Impa didn't say a word. She walked over and touched Link's hand. The strange marking glowed. She looked Link directly in the eye and spoke softly. "I have tried to keep your unconsciousness and all else that has transpired under wraps. It is imperative that we move quickly but quietly. I can say no more here. Even in this place the forces of Ganon have ears. Do you trust me?" Link nodded slowly. "Good. Then follow me at once. I promise I'll start making sense later."

Impa led Link to his bedroom and instructed him to get dressed and take the magic sword and shield he had acquired during his previous adventure. He opened a trunk and began to unload equipment such as his boomerang, bow, silver arrows, and well as several other items. "You will not need those," said Impa. "They will only slow you down. If you are who I believe you to be you will learn to call upon power far greater than anything these items could offer you."

The royal stables were unlocked. Taking two swift horses, Link and Impa stole away into the wilderness riding north. Impa led the way the whole time. Several times they were attacked by monsters. Monsters that Link had easily battled before now seemed more challenging. They ignored Impa and her horse completely but seemed very intent on fighting Link. Several times Link found himself desperately fighting for his life with monsters as simple as Octorocks. It occurred to him that Impa seemed outright impatient as he battled. After several days of riding, the pair reached Spectacle Rock. Impa dismounted and signaled Link to do the same.

"The horses can't climb steep rocks," she explained. "The man-made paths that lead through the mountain are sure to be heavily guarded so we can't use them."

The next part of their journey took weeks to complete. Impa navigated through the rocks as nimbly as a mountain goat while Link struggled to keep up. After two weeks they came to a point where there was a wide river and Link's heart leapt as he saw a town in the distance. "That is Saria," explained Impa. "Don't get excited, pal. We're not going there. That town is crawling with Ganon's spies." Link had rarely if ever been so disappointed.

"I've never been to Northern Hyrule in all my life and when I finally get to go all I see are mountains," said Link in a sulking voice.

"We're not here for sightseeing," replied Impa.

"What are we here for then?" asked Link. "You won't answer will, you? Should have seen that coming. Well, are we at least close to our goal?"

Impa shook her head. "I'm sorry but we have to take the long way through the mountains. It will take us far out of our way but no creature of Ganon will disturb us here. You are literally a marked man now, Link. That symbol on your hand will attract all of Ganon's disciples who still dwell here."

"Gees," replied Link. "These guys take revenge pretty seriously, don't they?"

Impa sighed. "This is about more than revenge. I did quite a bit of sleuthing while you were comatose. I'm sorry to have to tell you this. In the last two years a Cult of Ganon worshipers has been formed. This Cult includes both demons and elves. Do you remember what happened to Ganon's body when he died?"

Link nodded. "His corpse turned into a pile of cinders before he hit the floor. I never saw anything like it before."

"Well those ashes are now in the possession of the leader of Ganon's Cult," said Impa. "I've heard rumors. Bad ones. Apparently, they believe that Ganon can be revived if the blood of his killer is scattered over these ashes. Somehow the Cult figured out that they could identify you by the mark on your hand and every demon in Hyrule knows it. The mark attracts them like a magnet. These monsters were created by Ganon and have no will or mind of their own but his. The Cult leader alone thinks for himself."

"I see," replied Link calmly. "One question Impa. WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WAIT TILL NOW TO TELL ME ALL THIS?"

"I thought you might get upset," smirked Impa. "You need to understand something, Link. This wasn't some run of the mill thug you killed. This was Ganon. This was the very epitome of evil in this world. A battle has always existed between good and evil in one form or another and you seriously tipped the scales. You got into something too big for you and now there's no escape."

For a moment neither one of them spoke. "So what do I do?" asked Link at last.

"Well for the moment, you can find a shallow point in the river where we can ford across," she replied.

For three more weeks they trekked onwards through the mountains, past marshes and man-made caves. They encountered no elves here. Years had passed since the Northern Territory had been a part of the Kingdom of Hyrule. This land was now merely a disputed territory of Hyrule and ruled by local tribal chieftains. The capital of Hyrule had once been situated here. That was a long time ago when the Death Mountain range was still safe to cross and people traveled freely between the two halves of the kingdom. This was before Ganondorf sold his soul and became the demon Ganon.

At last Impa and Link reached the edge of the mountain range and descended into a grassy prairie. "Woo hoo!" screamed Link at the top of his lungs. "No more mountains!" He flung himself onto the ground and seemed to be trying to make snow angels in the grass.

"Quiet you jackass!" snarled Impa. "We aren't safe here. This is open country and we could easily be attacked. We have to make it to the nearest road right away."

"Yes, because no one ever gets attacked on roads," replied Link sarcastically.

Impa grinned. "Not around here they don't. The roads were heavily enchanted ages ago by the sages who once occupied this land. No demon, no matter how powerful or hideous can set foot on them."

"Well then, I guess that rules you out, old hag," replied Link with a grin.

Impa rolled her eyes in disgust. "Why do I waste my time with you?" she groaned.

"Because I'm so darned cute?" replied Link. Impa groaned and walked away. "Oh come on, you know you want me. Come on, tell me what you love about me. Start with my eyes."

The two traveled northward towards the nearest road. Whether or not there were any monsters in the area I cannot say. Link and Impa certainly didn't have any unpleasant encounters as they traveled. As they reached the road, Link nearly stopped dead in his tracks.

"What's that smell?" he groaned as he held his nose.

"Powerful magic leaves a distinct aroma," replied Impa. "When I was a girl my home always smelled like this." She sighed softly and smiled and then turned on Link angrily. "One wisecrack about how my home smells now, just one and I swear I'll shove this walking stick where the sun don't shine, got it?"

"Got it," he replied. "So your father was a mage or something?"

"'Or something' would be more like it," replied Impa. "For generations my family has served as wizards for the royal families of Hyrule. In fact we used to live right over there."

Impa pointed up the road to a large structure in the distance that resembled the Parthenon. "That, Link, is the North Palace. It was there that all the Hyrulian royalty resided for hundreds of years."

"Why'd they leave?" asked Link. "Termites?"

"No," she replied. "A far greater tragedy befell them all and the king ordered that the palace be converted into a shrine and that no monarch of Hyrule live there ever again. But enough about that. How much knowledge of magic have you acquired in your travels?"

"Magic!" replied Link. "Man, you sure are good at changing the subject. I don't know, a little bit I guess. I'd rather leave academic stuff like that to the eggheads. I wouldn't want to accidentally turn myself into a frog or something."

"So what can you do?" asked Impa.

"This," replied Link. "AITE!"

With this word the sky momentarily flashed red and the air itself smelled as if it had been burned. Other than that, nothing really happened. "Sorry. If I had been holding the magic wand I found during the war it would have cast a powerful death spell which would have then burst into flame. Here it doesn't do much but give us a light show." Link breathed heavily. "I've got to sit down a moment. Doing that without a wand really took a lot out of me. What are you doing?"

At that moment Impa had stepped off the path and placed her fingertips together in the shape of the Triforce.

"AITE!"

At the sound of Impa's spell the earth shook, the grass nearby burst into flames and the air became so hot momentarily that Link couldn't breathe for a few seconds.

"What the hell was that?" hollered Link. "You nearly took off my eyebrows!"

"Kid," she replied. "If I had meant to take off your eyebrows believe me, they would be gone right now. This is the power I spoke of. The power you yourself must possess in order to triumph here in this land. Now come."

Link was speechless as he followed her to the North Palace. Mounting the stone steps, they passed a large statue of a knight. As they passed, Link was startled to see the statue suddenly come to life. It drew its sword and without breaking into a run, began walking very swiftly towards Link in a threatening manner. Link drew his own sword and prepared to defend himself.

"ADAMI!"

At the sound of Impa's spell the statue dropped its sword and once again became motionless. Impa approached and removed the helmet from the suit of armor to reveal that it was empty.

"This is an Ironknuckle," explained Impa. "These enchanted suits of armor were put in place by my ancestors to defend the ancient palaces of North Hyrule. Good thing I stopped it. These things are strong. At this point you would have had no chance whatsoever of defeating it."

"Oh come on!" exclaimed Link angrily. "I beat Ganon and you think I can't take on a walking tin can!"

"A walking tin can with my family's magic could knock you on your ass, kid," replied Impa smugly. "Now come on."

Impa led Link into the North Palace. As she entered each new room a single word of magic lit every candle. Ignoring the throne room completely, Impa and Link descended a marble spiral stairway to the basement. A small window let one beam of sunlight fall upon a set of large doors. The sunbeam illuminated the following words inscribed on the door: "The Door That Does Not Open"

"OK," said Link. "You saw it. The door doesn't open. Oh well, that was great loads of fun but I guess we'll have to go back home now."

"Link?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"OK."

Once again Impa seized Link's wrist and the crest on his hand illuminated once more. She pressed the crest against the doors which swung open slowly. A pale magical light lit the room descending upon an altar in the center. Link's very breath was taken away at what he saw. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life (and I mean that very literally) was lying on the altar. Her features seemed somewhat more "elvish" than the people who lived in that day and age. Her hair was chestnut brown and if her eyes had been open Link would have observed that they matched her hair perfectly. Link touched the strands of hair without even realizing what he was doing. He was ashamed to admit it but Zelda's golden locks didn't even compare. The girl appeared to be about eighteen years old and seemed to have died within the last few minutes. She was warm but she wasn't breathing and had no pulse. Link couldn't speak for a while.

After what seemed like an eternity, Link turned back to Impa. "This girl's death was the tragedy of which you spoke, wasn't it?" he asked.

"It was but she isn't quite dead," replied Impa. "Her life force is in somewhat of a state of Limbo. You see, this girl was the original Princess Zelda." Impa pulled out a small chest from beneath the altar and spoke slowly.

"About four hundred years ago when Elezaar the Great was still king of Hyrule, the Triforce was whole and the kingdom was united by its power. My ancestors, who served the king, drew great power from these three Triforces and helped him to rule this land with justice and kindness.

"Well Elezaar grew old as people do and in his old age when he started to realize his time in this world was short he began to notice some things that disturbed him. First of all, his son and heir to the throne, Gibraltar, was pompous and immature and completely incapable of maintaining the quality of life that his father had established in Hyrule. He had also taken up with a wizard named Agahnim who was not among my relatives. Neither the king nor my family trusted Agahnim, who seemed to have an unnatural interest in the power of the Triforce. It was then that the Triforce of Wisdom delivered a message to the king in a dream warning him of the disastrous effects it would have if the Triforce of Courage were to be used by either Gibraltar or Agahnim. Neither of them approached life with good intent.

"Elezaar acted quickly and hid the Triforce of Courage from his son before he died. He personally cast the magic used to conceal it without any help from my family. Only his daughter Zelda who lies before us knew anything about it. The king then died and was mourned by all his people. Gibraltar took the throne and immediately began to make mistakes. He raised taxes, appointed Agahnim as his chief wizard and advisor, and planned to wage unjust war on the people of the Eastern Lands who had neglected to pay tribute to the throne of Hyrule for some time thanks to Elezaar's mercy.

"When he prepared for war he naturally intended to use the power of the Triforce but to his horror only two-thirds of the Triforce remained in the palace. Under threat of torture, a member of my family made a terrible mistake. He admitted to Gibraltar that Zelda might have some knowledge of the disappearance of the third Triforce. Now Zelda had been warned in a dream by the Triforce of Wisdom what was about to happen to her. But she was told to stand firm because in Agahnim's hands the Triforce of Courage would derive evil from the other two and ruin this land forever.

"Gibraltar viciously interrogated Zelda for hours, even striking her a few times but she remained unmoved. At this point Agahnim threatened her with eternal sleep if she did not reveal the location of the Triforce. Gibraltar never dreamed for a moment that this was anything but a bluff until Agahnim began to chant the spell. Gibraltar drew his sword at once and stabbed Agahnim only to be flung across the room by magic. Agahnim finished his spell and Zelda entered eternal slumber. Agahnim died from his wound at the same moment.

"Gibraltar nearly died from grief. He was a much changed and humbled man after that who ruled with mercy for the rest of his days. He became one of the best kings Hyrule ever had. This castle was ordered abandoned and the Ironknuckle at the gate was placed there to defend it. The capital was moved south of Death Mountain and an edict was issued that all female children of royal blood were to be named Zelda. This edict was followed on and off for several generations."

Link was stunned. Nowhere in any part of Hyrulian history had he ever heard this story. Finally he spoke. "So what are we doing here? Am I supposed to be capable of doing something about this?"

"I have no idea," replied Impa. "I consulted the Triforce of Wisdom when the crest appeared on your hand and it told me to bring you here and show you the contents of this box." Impa opened the box and pulled out a scroll and six green crystals from inside. She sniffed the crystals. "Ah yes, strong magic in these. Elezaar was said to have been extremely skilled at magic himself."

Link took the scroll and opened it. The language was so ancient that he didn't even recognize the characters. And yet as he looked at it, his eyes unfocused and the words became plain as day.

"Greetings. If you have eyes with which to read this you would be well advised to use them. I am Elezaar, called the Great. As of yet it is not safe for anyone in Hyrule to possess the full power of the Triforce and thus the third has been hidden out of sight yet certainly not out of mind. Know you who read this that you are of a royal bloodline and you are even a descendant of fairies from a time long before our memory. You alone have been deemed worthy by the Triforce of Wisdom to retrieve the Triforce of Courage. This time in history has been deemed worthy to have the full power of the Triforce. A great day this is!

"An ancient evil entity known as Ganondorf once dwelt within the realm in the eastern region known as The Valley of Death. Here was an elf who had given himself great power and unnatural long life by his addiction to the dark arts. All people dread his former region and particularly dread the ruins of the Great Palace in which he once lived. It seemed a perfect place to hide the Triforce. But what if the terrors of that wretched place were not enough of a deterrent? Our family once owned six other palaces aside from our home that were used as homes away from home when visiting other parts of the kingdom. They had fallen into disrepair and hadn't been used in years. I ordered the servants who maintained these palaces in our absence to leave. I then constructed magic statues in each palace as directed by the Triforce. Each statue created a magical force field around the Great Palace, six force fields in all, every single one of which had to be neutralized in order to enter.

"These crystals are given for the purpose of neutralizing the statues' power. I must admit in my fear I went somewhat overboard. I placed Ironknuckles in each palace and then placed extremely powerful guardian creatures near the statues that emerge from a dormant state when they detect motion. Only a true son of Hyrule would be anywhere near strong enough to defeat them. I then declared these palaces to be off limits. My excuse was poor structural integrity. To my dismay, these palaces soon became infested by demons but I was relieved to see that none of them made it past the guardians. I told myself that no hero strong enough to defeat the guardians would be inhibited by demons. I should hope that I was correct."

"The fact that I have gone through this much trouble should send a clear message. Misuse of the Triforce would be deadly and bring grave consequences to the land I love so dear. If you have this crest then the Triforce deems it possible for you to overcome these obstacles that I have put in place but not without great effort and hardship. You are not alone in your quest. My spirit and those of all your ancestors pray over your every footstep. Be the man you were meant to be my child."

Link had read every word out loud. Impa rose to her feat and looked him directly in the eye. "You can't do it."

"What do you mean?" Link asked angrily. "The king said the Triforce…"

"I know what it said," interrupted Impa. "I'm not saying you'll never be strong enough. But at this point you have no chance. That pathetic little effort at magic should have told you that. You know a grand total of two spells, one of which is useless without a wand. The other will serve you very little from now on."

Link knew what she meant. She was referring to his Sting spell. It could only be used when he was in top physical health. Uttering it would emit a pulse of energy the exact size and shape of a blade from his sword.

"There are enemies here you've never even seen before in the south," she continued. "That little trick would be useless on some of them. You need to develop your talents. Do you know what the most important words in that document are? 'Be the man you were meant to be my child.' The man you were meant to be is someone far greater than what you are now. You were destined for better things."

"What would you have me do?" asked Link in a voice that let Impa know he was taking all of this quite seriously.

"Fight. Build up your strength. Learn magic from anyone who will teach it to you. Practice it. Develop it into something far greater than those silly weapons I made you leave behind." Impa removed Link's sheath from his belt. "In this dangerous region you need to have your weapon drawn and ready at all times. This magic sword which was once so devastating will not destroy all enemies so easily unless the arm that wields it increases in strength. This magic shield which once defended against anything will not always do so here unless its user can master the magic needed to reinforce it. I don't have any other words of wisdom for you. Well, maybe just this: Go kick some ass boy!"

Impa walked up and hugged Link. "I believe in you. You have to believe in yourself. Here, take this map of the region. I had one of the best cartographers in Hyrule make this."

"Can't anything be done for the girl?" asked Link.

"Wow, you have a short attention span when it comes to women. I can almost guarantee the magic of the united Triforce is more powerful than Agahnim's spell. Hey, there's some incentive for you."

"Incentive? You really don't understand how I fell at all… neither do I."

Link walked up to the altar and gently kissed Zelda's forehead and stroked her face. "I don't want to leave you," he whispered. "I must be nuts. People told me I should move on when the woman I loved got engaged. Who had THIS in mind? I've fallen in love with a girl I've never even talked to. I should have my head examined. Really I should… Wait... I have talked to you…" Something was dawning on Link.

"It was you calling to me in my dream after this crest appeared, wasn't it? I felt your mind and heart… hell, I felt your soul. I liked what I felt at the time. A lot. For two weeks. I do know you. Not as well as I'd like to, but I know you. I didn't know you were a girl then or that you looked like this. Head over heals in love here. Man, I really am nuts. Gees, why doesn't normal stuff ever happen to me? Nah, screw normal, I love you."

Quickly, so as not to be tempted to hesitate further, Link set out on his quest.

End Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The familiar magical smell of the path greeted Link as he walked out of the North Palace. It was about midday and he was already tired from his journey but part of him was eager to do whatever strange and mysterious thing he had been chosen for. The element of the unknown was exciting. He crossed the bridge connecting the island upon which the palace was situated to the prairie on the other side of the lake. He pulled out his map and took a look at his surroundings. Where to go first? He could remember the last time he had asked himself that question at the start of another quest. Impa had warned him not to go near the palace until he was ready. Ready? How on earth was he supposed to know when he was ready?

Link hadn't been paying attention and veered towards the edge of the path. He stopped just short of the edge. He smiled at himself for acting in this way. "Link, snap out of it buddy," he said to himself. "What, if you take one step off the path something's gonna come out and bite your leg off? Come on!" And just to prove it to himself he took several steps off the path. It was at that minute that he heard the sound of growling and rustling in the tall grass. For a moment he very nearly soiled himself.

Just then a Bot and a Bit emerged from the weeds. Link was so relieved he burst out laughing. "Ooh, I'm so scared!" he chuckled. "Don't let the big walking pile of mucus get me." He lunged at the Bit and stabbed it. Immediately its body vanished.

He then turned on the Bot which jumped out of the way of his sword. "Oh come on little buddy," whispered Link. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna run you through with this bad boy and send you to hell." Suddenly the Bot leapt forward and Link didn't get out of the way in quite enough time. It bit Link's shin. "Why you son of a…!" Link was furious and slashed it viciously. Like the Bit, the Bot's body disappeared and something quite familiar happened. The content of its stomach did not disappear with its body. A small blue jar lay on the ground. This was a new one on Link. He had slain creatures before who had swallowed things like rupies or small heart-shaped vials of red water but he had never seen this before. He took the lid off the pitcher and sniffed its contents. The clear liquid inside smelled just like the path. Link cautiously drank some. It tasted like water but to his disappointment it didn't quench his thirst one bit.

Link had to turn his full attention to his shin which was throbbing horribly. This seemingly harmless creature had fanged him pretty good. It managed to draw blood. Link had no idea how foolish he was to lay down his arms and sit down in the grass to attend to his leg. You'd think that with all his combat experience he'd have known better. Within moments he realized his mistake when he heard a very familiar snarl. Link stood up to find himself face to face with an angry Moblin.

Before Link could even react the Moblin kicked his sword away from him and attacked. Link was still holding his shield and used it to knock the spear out of the Moblin's hand. The enraged Moblin knocked Link over and jumped on top of him and started beating him in the face. Link pulled one hand free and aimed a punch at the creature's head which missed and hit the side of its neck. This infuriated the Moblin further. It sunk its teeth into Link's shoulder. Link turned every which way to find his sword but he couldn't spot it. His hand touched something long and cold nearby. It was the Moblin's spear. Without hesitation Link drove it into the Moblin's side. It too vanished.

There was no time to gather his wits. As soon as he picked up his sword he heard another snarl, then another, and another. A whole legion of Moblins seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and charged at Link. At this point Link did something he had never done before in his life. He ran. He wasn't mentally prepared to fight so he broke into a sprint and dove face-first onto the dirt road. Thankfully Impa had been correct about the road. It had been well enchanted by the sages of long ago for the protection of travelers and though the Moblins acted in an intimidating manner, none of them dared set foot on the path. After a few spear shakes and angry howls they departed. Link was all alone.

Link's whole body hurt all over. He couldn't even stand up for a few minutes. "What the hell was that!" he yelled out loud. Moblins had always been social creatures that traveled in packs but never before had he seen them act with that level of focus or aggression. It seemed as if Impa had been correct about something else. They certainly were seeking his life and doing so much more effectively than before.

The pain sort of snapped him back to reality. What was he doing? What the hell was he doing? A few weeks ago he had been head over heels for Princes Zelda; so much so that he was willing to risk the consequences of assaulting a head of state. Why all of the sudden had he so promptly taken leave of his senses? Why had he nearly forgotten about her and gone ga-ga over Sleeping Beauty? It seemed so wrong. Link felt so embarrassed.

Another thought plagued him. Would she wake up when he had completed his task? He had merely assumed so but he didn't know for sure. And what made him think she'd even give him the time of day if and when she did wake up? What if he was wrong about her? "This is nuts!" he said out loud. And yet… and yet that moment his dreams from his coma came back plain as day. He couldn't explain it but he KNEW. He just knew.

With great difficulty, Link picked himself up and went on his merry way. He walked due east until the sun set. He had no sleeping bag and nothing with which to make a fire. One day spent and he certainly didn't feel stronger.

Magic. He was supposed to be obsessing over magic, wasn't he? But he hadn't learned any spells. Perhaps he could at least somehow increase his endurance to magic.

"AITE!"

The night sky flared for a second.

"AITE!"

Link got the same result and felt far more worn out the second time.

"AITE!"

"AITE!"

"AITE!"

Link didn't even have the energy to speak. Casting the spell again was out of the question. But he had managed to cast it five times with no wand. That had to be good, right? Link lay down for a few minutes and recovered his strength. He told himself that he had to have become stronger from what he had just done. Right? Wrong. Twenty minutes later when he felt fully rested and attempted it again the spell was no stronger than before and took just as much out of him. Giving up, he curled into a ball and slept right there on the road.

Link dreamed about nothing all night but Zelda. The beauty he had seen on the altar was amazing enough but the presence he felt in his dreams was beyond compare. He felt so strong when he thought about her. Whenever it occurred to him that he was ready to conquer the universe for a complete stranger it didn't seem so foolish. If someone had passed by Link's sleeping form they would have seen him actually giggle in his sleep.

The moment he woke up he wished he hadn't. His injuries hadn't healed but he was used to that. An injury inflicted by a demon doesn't just heal on its own. It needs magic or it never goes away. Waking from a pleasant dream is always disappointing but this was just heart-wrenching. He looked around and guessed from the light that it was about 5:30 in the morning. The sky was a very deep blue but getting subtly lighter every minute.

Link took out his map and studied it. A few miles east of his position was a town. That was the good news. The bad news was that between him and the town was a large forest which he was quite certain was completely infested with demons. The path followed the northern edge of the woods. Even though it eventually reached the town it would take him very far out of his way. Link was no wimp and in peak condition wouldn't have hesitated to go through the woods. However, in his weakened state he was feeling a little uneasy about the idea. For one thing his injuries guaranteed him the loss of the Sting spell until he was healed. For another it was the shoulder of his sword arm that had been bitten.

Link gave himself no time whatsoever to consider his options. He jumped to his feet and forced himself to leave the path and walk towards the woods. For the first few minutes all was quiet. He encountered two Bots but all else was well. Then he heard it. The familiar snarl he so hated. A pack of Moblins had caught onto his trail. Out of the tall grasses they emerged ready for blood. Link was ready this time and had a strategy. He made it look as though he was running away. Whenever the fastest one caught up to him he would turn on it and attack. With its friends several meters behind, the speedy Moblin would have no chance and would be killed. Link did this until all five were dead. Link had so hoped to find some small healing vials or at least some rupees but once again found nothing but these small blue jars that seemed to have no effect. Thoroughly disappointed, he walked into the woods.

Link had walked but a few feet when he realized just what an evil place he had entered. The woods were as dark as night. Not one beam of sunlight entered through the tree branches. Link would have lost his way had he not been an experienced outdoorsman. He continually found moss growing on the north side of the trees which told him how to proceed eastward. The stench of Moblin was strong. Then it happened.

There had been no sound, no warning whatsoever. But all of the sudden Link felt a prick at the back of his neck. Within a fraction of a second he was in agony. He turned around to find himself face to face with a Deeler suspended by a strand of cobweb. Link had always been a little frightened of spiders but this one was the size of his head. He swung at it but the Deeler quickly climbed back up the thread. That fraction of a second when Link's attention was diverted was all that was needed to land him in serious trouble. A stealthy Moblin had managed to sneak up behind him undetected and threw a spear into his back.

The wound was deep and Link knew he was in grave peril immediately. The spearhead had not gone all the way in so Link yanked it out, losing a good deal of blood in the process. The Moblin hurled another spear but Link deflected it with his shield. However, as he went to attack the Moblin, the Deeler dropped down again right in front of him. As soon as he swung at it, another spear came flying his way and he barely had time to avoid it. For two witless creatures, these two comrades had certainly thought up a good strategy. It might have worked too, had Link not been so fast. On his next attempt at an attack he was far too quick for the Deeler to reach and he slew the Moblin. The Deeler, not wishing to fight any further, retreated.

Now Link was in serious danger. He was badly wounded and felt quite certain he was being watched by some unseen predatorial force. The urge to run was strong but he refused to play the part of the wounded prey running for its life. Besides, he wasn't sure he had the strength to run now. He walked in a daze for what seemed like hours. A horrible thought occurred to him. He hadn't been checking the tree moss! What if he was going in circles?

Just then a sound as sweet as the break of dawn came from the distance. It was the gentle buzz of fairy wings. Link had heard this sound many times before but he had never been quite so happy to hear it as he was now. Within a few moments the little fairy emerged, seemingly sprinkling a magic light all around her as she flew. Fairies are instinctive healers. As soon as she saw Link she swooped down to him and with one wave of her tiny wand he was healed completely.

"I can't thank you enough little friend," said Link as he sat up. "I didn't know there were any fairies native to the lands north of the mountains."

"There aren't," replied the fairy in her tiny squeaky voice. "There are forces in this world besides the evil that haunts you. A great good follows your every move as well. My people have been instructed by the Triforce to send some of our sisters into this land so that you might not fail. The waters of life which safeguarded you in the south do not exist here."

"So I noticed," replied Link. "I couldn't find any of those little heart vials that used to heal me up. Oh crap, that's going to be a real problem isn't it?"

"In this land a different sort of living water exists," replied the fairy. "That water which has the power to restore your magical force is frequently found here."

"You mean those little blue pitchers?" asked Link. "That's what they do?" The fairy nodded. "Oh that's just great. Those things are worthless to me. I can't do any magic. I never had mind for that sort of thing."

The fairy giggled and whistled towards the woods. Several other fairies emerged. "You have the ability within you," explained the fairy. "You have our blood in your veins which the generations cannot erase and we are completely magical beings. We will help to show you what is already yours."

The fairies formed a circle around Link and in their tiny voices chanted a spell in a language almost as ancient as the world itself. As they chanted over and over again a strange thing happened to Link. If you looked at him you would not discern any physical change but within him it felt as if an iron weight had fallen off of him and his soul seemed to take flight within him.

Finishing their chant, the fairies formed a group and nervously giggled like school girls as Link seemed to be trying to figure out if his own hands were really his.

"Now whatever inner potential to cast the most powerful spells that once lay dormant within you is brought to life," said one fairy. "You need but learn the proper words or rituals and you can cast any spell with great effectiveness. You will discover this 'magical endurance' you have spoken of too as you continue. We will be watching you. Farewell brother."

"Hey wait!"

It was no use. As quickly as the fairies had appeared they scattered into the woods and flew away leaving Link by himself. Link felt lonely but a wild thought occurred to him.

"AITE!"

Instantly the sky flashed, the earth shook, and the very treetops were singed. Some of the dry grass caught fire. True, the spell was still pretty useless but he had done it right this time. He felt no less tired than usual after casting it but when he drank from the blue jar that the Moblin had left, he felt rejuvenated.

Link finished his trek through the forest without further incident. Crossing the prairie again cost him a few bites on the ankle from Bots, though. Soon he found himself back on the path and before nightfall found himself reading a wooden sign with the simple words "WELCOME TO RAURU"

"Hello young fellow."

"Sorry, I know nothing."

"Hello."

"I am much to busy to talk to a stranger."

This was hardly the sort of reception Link had in mind. These townspeople really did seem pretty busy. What they were busy doing I can't say but they all scurried about the streets in quite a hurry, that's for sure. Link was at a loss for words. At least they weren't really unfriendly. He had been hoping for any advice, assistance, or lodging he could get but these people barely acknowledged his existence. But one old woman stared rather intently as he wandered the city streets. He didn't pay her too much mind at first.

As he wandered through Rauru he came to a building with no door which was strange enough. What was even stranger was that the man inside came to the doorway and beckoned Link inside.

"Ah, you are a foreign warrior, no?" asked the man in a thick accent. Link nodded. "Well I hate to see such a young man throw his life away needlessly. Many have ventured to the Island to the East seeking to destroy the darkness that seems to emanate from that horrible place but few return. The creatures there seem immune to swords attacks." Now you had better believe that this distressing piece of news caught Link's attention. He knew well that Eastern Island was his final destination and that he'd have to face these creatures eventually.

"You mean they're invincible?" asked Link.

"Well maybe, maybe not," replied the man. "Who can say? I hear rumors every now and then that a certain magic will harm them. They say if all else fails use fire."

"Who are you?" asked Link, completely bewildered.

"I am Baldwin," replied the man. "I am both the town wise man and the town drunk. I'm also the local chieftain. And I'm not sure but I think I'm the local dentist too. Whether wisdom or foolishness comes from my mouth, all seem to want to hear it." Baldwin laughed hysterically at his own remark. "You will excuse me young man but night falls and I have a dinner engagement. Lock up after me, will ya?" Once again Baldwin had a good chuckle for obviously the empty room had no door. There was nothing to steal anyway. Baldwin walked out and left leaving Link alone.

"What is this place?" wondered Link out loud.

"It's sort of a town hall," said a voice from the door. It was the old woman who had been staring at Link. "Sorry to startle you," she continued, "but it's rather hard not to notice that crest on your hand or the smell of magic crystals from your purse."

Link was shocked. "How did you…"

"You thought your quest was secret?" asked the old woman. "No. The sages who founded these villages long foretold your coming centuries before you were born; the one who would come to free this land from the darkness. I even know what those crystals are for. They go in the palace statues, don't they?"

Link was stunned. The woman smiled. "I am Ama, wife of the oracle of Rauru. My husband predicted that you would arrive this very evening and I and several of our friends have been waiting for you. Come with me."

Link wasn't sure quite why he trusted this woman but he did. She led him outside and towards the southern part of town. As they walked, they passed a white house whose sole resident, a young lady in a red dress, seemed to be waiting impatiently outside. She brightened up when she saw Ama.

"Ama! Is this him?" the girl asked. Ama nodded. The girl looked Link over. "You're hurt!" she said.

"It's not that bad," replied Link.

"Let me do something about that," replied the girl. She placed her hands on Link's head and muttered a few magic words under her breath and lo and behold, the wounds on Link's legs disappeared. It wasn't quite the warm, loving sort of healing sensation one gets from a fairy but Link was grateful. As Ama took Link through town, people with more practical things to say approached.

"Only the hammer can destroy a roadblock."

"Get candle in Parapa Palace. Go west."

"Find the Heart in Southern Papara."

Well any of that beat "Sorry I know nothing" any day even if Link didn't completely understand. Finally Ama led him to her house where her daughter gladly invited him in to talk with the old oracle. As Link descended the steps into the basement the smell of magic became quite intense. At the back of the room was a bearded old man in a red hood and robe. In the man's very presence the crest on Link's hand glowed brightly. The man spoke not a word but gazed into Link's eyes for nearly a minute. He seemed to be staring at Link's very soul.

Finally he spoke. "It may not necessarily be a good thing that your quest is known. You must use caution. Trust not the people of Saria or Darunia. Eyes of Ganon are everywhere. This is my gift to you, bearer of the crest of Elezaar. AFE!"

At the sound of this word the room flashed. The old man grinned. "Take your sword and try to cut me down," he said. "I dare you."

Link hesitated. For a moment, the man seemed less an oracle and more a crazy old fool but he complied. The sword grazed off the old man's arm harmlessly.

"That word I just used, memorize it now," ordered the Oracle. "The man who speaks it casts upon himself the Shield spell which makes his body firm and very difficult to injure."

"Who are you?" asked an amazed Link. But the old man smiled and did not answer.

"He is called Rauru," said a voice from behind Link. It was Ama's daughter. "All oracles are named after the sages the day they are born. All towns here have an oracle and you would be well advised to learn what you can from each."

Link turned back to Rauru. "I don't mean to sound greedy and I am very grateful, but is there anything else you can teach me so I don't get slaughtered out there?"

"I cannot help you anymore," replied Rauru. "Go now."

"Will you stay the night?" asked Ama's daughter. "We'd be honored to have you." Link nodded and followed her upstairs leaving old Rauru alone with his deep thoughts.

Link's dreams that night were once again occupied by Zelda and he was once again quite disappointed when he awoke. Vowing to set out early he hurried through breakfast but noticed Ama still watching him.

"I know you're not used to having a living legend in your house," joked Link, "But honestly, you're starting to creep me out a little."

"I worry for you," she replied. "I don't fear what the demons may do to you. You will rise to the occasion an overcome them all. I worry that you may be unable to conquer yourself. Within even your own heart I can sense some darkness. The prophecies have all said the same thing, that the hero must struggle against his own inner self but not one predicts the outcome."

Link rolled his eyes. "Um, look Ama, I know you're all old and wise and mystical and everything, but right now my problem isn't my shortcomings. My problem is these maniacs trying to kill me everywhere I go."

"You have no idea what your problem is," retorted Ama. She sighed and smiled. "But I would greatly underestimate you not to have good hope that you will see and you will overcome."

Link left Rauru with Ama's words echoing in his mind. My gosh it's irritating to have words echoing in your mind. Especially words that don't seem to make much sense. Well, one task yet remained before the palace.

It was explained to Link that the same magic heart icons that existed in South Hyrule could be found here in the north as well. Just touching one lowers someone's susceptibility to injury. The tough part was getting to it. Link now wished he had ignored Impa and taken some items with him. The only way to the region known as Parapa was through a dark cave. And here he was without a candle. I would say that the journey through the woods to get to the cave was fairly uneventful but something did happen that Link couldn't overlook. As he killed a stray Moblin that had wandered away from its pack he felt a surge of power. It wasn't his imagination, he actually felt stronger. Impa had been right. From that point on, Link periodically felt these spurts of power as he fought.

Link entered the gaping mouth of the cave and stepped into darkness. It really was like being swallowed. Aside from the dripping of water there was no sound. It was as if the sound of the forest died away the moment he entered. Link crept forward cautiously, feeling the wall as he went along. Though the cave was dark, it seemed there was a very subtle amount of light around him. This Link could not explain. Had he been a more educated fellow he might have realized that certain kinds of fungi actually glow in the dark.

One of the difficulties of traveling in the dark is that it is hard to tell how far you have traveled. Link estimated (and rather well I might add) that he had traveled about 900 yards. For the first time he noticed a sound other than that of dripping water. But it was so soft and faint. He supposed he could just be imaging…. FEET! He saw feet moving! Without any time to react, Link crouched down and, as luck would have it, sliced the Lowder that had come perilously close to biting him. Link traveled the duration of the cave on his hands and knees swinging his sword in front of him every few feet.

At long last he emerged from the cave and entered Parapa Desert. It seemed strange to him that this region was a desert at all. I suppose that the high peaks nearby to the south could have blocked clouds bearing precipitation but then again the ocean was nearby. It certainly didn't feel that warm.

Parapa Palace was a large speck on the horizon but Link knew to travel south first. All too quickly he learned that he was not out of danger. No, not in the least. The wind would blast very hard in intermittent spurts which sent rocks flying in his direction. Large sand creatures called Geldarms would also sometimes emerge from the sand. These creatures were plenty dangerous despite the fact that they had nothing to do with the Cult of Ganon. They were indigenous to the desert.

As Link headed south he spotted a most welcome sight. It was a road. He would have safe passage all the way to the heart icon. Or so he thought. For quite some time he was safe. The breeze coming off the ocean was most refreshing, there were no enemies, and there were even songbirds which had been too frightened to dwell elsewhere.

Link wasn't frightened at first when he noticed the path was divided by several steep water pits. No biggie. He would just jump over them. Then he heard it.

He had already jumped over a couple pits when he heard the sound of evil laughter. Looking behind him, Link saw an elf standing near the first precipice wrapped completely in black fabric. Only his eyes and the bridge of his nose remained uncovered.

"The Holy Legion of Ganon bids you hello," called out the man in a mocking voice. Holy Legion of Ganon? Link didn't like the sound of that one bit. He was certain this fellow was a member of the Cult. "I have long been expecting you," the man continued. "Most of our brethren expected you to be older. They almost feel guilty about murdering a mere child. I however have no such reservations."

"Hey! You gonna stand there mocking me or do you actually have the guts to come out here and face me!" screamed Link. One serious pet peeve Link had always had was people underestimating him because of his age.

The man chuckled at that remark. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Well I'm not here to give you satisfaction. DIE!"

With that the man muttered some magic words that Link couldn't make out and the sky flashed white for a moment. For a split second Link almost wanted to laugh at the man. All that had resulted from the spell was some bubbles drifting out of the water pits and into the air. They seemed harmless enough. For about two seconds.

When one of the bubbles touched the solid chasm wall it exploded sending chunks of rock flying. And now these bubbles were all over the place. "Oh crap!" yelled Link as he flung himself forward to avoid one bubble only to have to stop dead in his tracks and jump backwards to avoid another one. As he peeked over his shoulder, he noticed that the Cult member had disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. Link carefully dodged and leaped all over the place like a madman for a good fifty yards jumping over pits and bubbles until he reached the other side.

Link was too flabbergasted to be angry. Why any elf in their right mind would worship Ganon was beyond comprehension. The fiend had murdered thousands of innocent people for no reason. He hated elves! Why on earth would anyone betray their own race for him? Did they honesty think they could curry favor with him? Not a chance. The only explanation Link could come up with was that some people are too quick to ally themselves with that which they see as powerful.

The path ended all too soon and Link soon found himself in a small patch of forest. After his last experience he was ready for anything, which was good because in the few yards of forest he crossed he encountered Blue Moblins, Mobies, and Red and Blue Deelers, all of which attacked at once. These creatures certainly demonstrated remarkable teamwork but Link was ready for them. What he wasn't ready for were the Megmets which leapt at him the instant he emerged from the woods. For such small creatures, they were certainly heavy (as Link found out when one nearly crushed him). He took several nasty blows trying to fight them and nearly stepped on a Bot that he hadn't noticed.

With the enemies subdued eventually, Link had a chance to look at his surroundings which were quite impressive. Link was looking at his world's equivalent of Stonehenge. This place also reeked of magic. According to his instructions, the icon was supposed to be around here. Link's brief search however turned up something he certainly hadn't been seeking. It was a Goriya. Link had never seen a Goriya above ground before. These creatures hated sunlight and spent their lives underground. Apparently someone forgot to tell that to this particular Goriya.

Link easily blocked the large rodent's boomerang with his shield only to be hit in the back by another one. He hadn't even seen the second one leave the Goriya's hand. This was by far the most skilled Goriya he had ever met. Link tried to distract it by jumping over the boomerang and running straight at it hoping it would be hit by its own weapon in the confusion. No such luck. The creature caught the boomerang without even looking. Link jumped to the top of a stone and then leapt off just as suddenly as he had mounted, slashing at the Goriya on the way down. It worked, but not as well as he had hoped. Finally abandoning strategy, Link cast the Shield spell and, making no attempt to avoid the boomerangs, ran right up to the Goriya and stabbed it several times in the chest. It was a rather crude move from such a magnificent swordsman as Link but it worked. The Goriya dropped a blue jar from which Link drank and he instantly felt the cost of the spell on his body disappear.

Finding the icon required no further search. It was right out in the open. As Link grasped the wooden icon he felt his wounds heal and his strength skyrocket. All that remained was the palace.

Two days…

Two terrible days journey…

…took him straight to its front door.

End Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

PALACE 1

Parapa Palace was a very intimidating sight to say the very least. An aura of death surrounded the place. Grey rock which looked like it could and likely would crumble into dust at any moment made up its structure. Link was reminded of the underground bunkers where the pieces of Triforce had been guarded by rivals of Ganon. The first time he had entered one of those places he had a lump in his throat. This time he had an entire boulder.

As he approached he noticed the prominent Ironknuckle statue. Instantly Impa's warning came back to mind. "A walking tin can with my family's magic could knock you on your ass, kid." Great. Wonderful. Link edged up towards it carefully.

"I come in peace," he said with a nervous grin. Nothing happened. Link was certain that at any moment this thing would come alive and take his head off. But it never moved. Even so, as Link headed to the entrance he would look over his shoulder every few moments. He approached a door and pressed the crest against it. Slowly it opened and led into… a box? What was this?

Obviously Link had never seen an elevator before much less an elevator powered by magic. He stepped inside expecting something to happen but nothing did. Ten minutes went by and nothing. "What am I supposed to say, 'open sesame'?" grumbled Link. "I wish I could get in and get this over with." Instantly the elevator responded to his desire, scaring the hell out of Link as it descended with no warning. It occurred to him, strangely enough, that this thing had responded to his words. "Stop!" Immediately it obeyed. "Go back up." The elevator rose. "Maybe I don't have to say anything," thought Link to himself. "Maybe it would respond to the mere desire to go back down." As if the elevator had read his mind it descended all the way down into the palace.

The second the elevator reached its destination Link was attacked by the oddest creature he had ever seen. It had the body of a man, wore armor, and carried a dagger. But the head was that of a dog. Or maybe it was a rat. Or was it a goat… Oh it doesn't matter, it was some kind of animal and it was white. Whatever it was, it didn't have much endurance. Link used the Sting spell just once and it vanished. However, another immediately came trotting along towards him, blade drawn. This too he slew. Then two more took that one's place. Link was getting the distinct impression that there was no end to these things. He needed to move. But where to? He had no map of the inside of the palaces. Even the bunkers had those. He turned opposite the direction he had been facing in the elevator and ran down the hall slaying these…well these things, whatever they were, every few feet.

The room he entered was large and not at all well-lit. Certain bricks protruded far from the wall far above him. These bricks were infested with Bots. They hissed at Link in a threatening manner but made no move. Link hissed right back at them and kept going.

About that time he encountered another old acquaintance of his. It was a Stalfos. If the other creatures he had encountered in the south were so much tougher here, he could just imagine what the Stalfos was capable of. One had nearly killed him back in the old days. And this one had a shield. Within moments Link found out that he knew how to use it too. The two futilely traded blows for a few moments but each one was deflected by the other's shield. It was quite by accident that Link discovered its weakness. He had stumbled and made a swipe at its legs without thinking. Lo and behold it worked! The bony Stalfos wasn't nimble enough to protect its own legs and was destroyed rather quickly.

Link turned around only to discover that he had taken a wrong turn by going this way. It was a dead end. But what was that on the shelf on the wall? Link found a key. If you think that was a pleasant surprise for him, think again. Link was bitterly disappointed to find that palaces, like the bunkers, had locked doors inside. Grabbing the key, Link ran off in the other direction killing more of those… well whatever they were… oh heck, let's just call them Goat Heads, shall we?

Taking the eastbound path, Link soon found a locked gate that the Goat Heads seemed to be able to pass through as though it were an illusion. Link unlocked the gate and stepped forward only to see a new enemy that very much reminded him of a Bubble. It was a Skull Ball and when Link stabbed it, it merely paused before flying up and burning him slightly. Link thought better of messing with it further and went on his way.

The next room produced two more Stalfos and another elevator. After Link had dispatched the Stalfos he decided to see where the elevator would take him. With no map he had to travel by trial and error. The second the elevator had reached its destination Link regretted his choice. He fell prey to four Skull Balls at once, all of which were too fast for him. Since he didn't know whether or not they could be destroyed he had no recourse but to run, but not before he got hit twice.

A warmth filled the hall and Link soon found himself in front of a stone bridge guarded by four Bots, two on each side. The reason for the heat was to be found under the bridge. Magma had seeped up from a crack in the earth. From the smell in the air, Link deducted that this lava was not there by chance. He correctly guessed a spell from Elezaar had produced this unnatural phenomenon. He couldn't help but think this lava would not have produced an obstacle to would-be thieves until he set foot on the bridge. Immediately he had to run for his life. The very stones upon which he stood were vanishing as soon as he stepped on them. As he crossed, he noticed a small cloth bag in the middle. When you are running for your life you have no time for curiosities and thus he ignored it and kept running. Just made it too. But now he was trapped. With the bridge gone, how could he get back?

Link reasoned that if he went onward he might find some alternative means of reaching his goal. But as soon as he entered the next room he realized it was another dead end. This odd room was not well-lit either. Link looked above him and noticed the third Ironknuckle statue he had passed. This one also thankfully did not come to life.

THUD!

Now what?

A small spiked ball of iron attached to a short chain landed at Link's feet. The monster who had thrown it was something truly intimidating. It was a large Troll, red in color, about six feet tall, huge muscles, horns, big teeth, and enormous eyes. At first Link honestly thought this thing was the Guardian. At this point Link made a big mistake. He tried to use his shield.

CRASH!

"Ow! Damn!" screamed Link. His shield had been shattered and the projectile had given him a mild rib fracture. Now luckily a properly enchanted shield repairs itself if it's destroyed but the shield would be useless against this foe anyway. All around Link the heavy hammers rained down. Could he time this right and lunge forward? Wait, there was a pattern to this. The Troll could only throw straight up. Every few seconds a few hammers didn't fly quite so far. Timing this just right, Link jumped forward and lo and behold, being this close to the Troll the hammers sailed harmlessly over his head. A few quick stabs killed the Troll. But there was no time to celebrate. No sooner had the Troll died than Link saw an Ironknuckle coming straight at him.

"ADAMI!"

It didn't work. Impa had managed to turn one of these things back into stone with this word but the spell had no effect on the Ironknuckle which had now drawn a sword. As Link tried to attack he noticed that much to his dismay, this thing handled a shield far better than the Stalfos. Link had to leap out of the way after each attempt at attack to avoid being stabbed. He tried every strategy he could think of including turning his back as if to flee and suddenly attacking. Man this thing was tough!

Yet again it was more by accident than by trial and error that Link discovered its weakness. When he leapt up to avoid getting skewered, he noticed the Ironknuckle's shield drop momentarily. BINGO! Link jumped up again, the shield dropped, and Link stabbed him in the head. A couple repeat performances of this procedure and the Ironknuckle was dead.

"Aw crap!"

Link had come down here without a key and behind the Ironknuckle was a gate between him and a magic Red Candle. Impa had been wrong. Bringing the Red Candle he had acquired on his first quest would indeed have helped. "Damn that senile old bat!" muttered Link angrily as he turned around to go back the way he came.

Link was surprised to find that the bridge over the lava pit had been restored. But once again when he tried crossing the bridge it began to disappear. Running for dear life (again), he saw that bag again but chose to skip it. Again. Running the gauntlet of Skull Balls, Link was hit only once this time. As he jumped into the elevator and ascended, he saw one of them try to follow him up the shaft. Vicious little bastards, weren't they?

Now he was back on the main floor. Link soon came face to face with a Bot and another Skull Ball. After killing the Bot he suddenly felt very determined. "Dammit, I'm going to see if that buzzard can be killed," he grumbled. He waited for just the right moment and when the Skull Ball was at waist-height he stabbed. The monster paused but didn't die no matter how many times he hit it. After what seemed like an eternity it finally vanished. "It wasn't worth it," said Link to himself with a smile. At least he hadn't run.

After dispatching another Stalfos Link once again had to choose his path. There was another elevator that could take him to an upper or lower floor. And the path also continued straight ahead. Three options. What was that sound…buzzing? Buzzing! It was a fairy! Link raced forward to see a tiny black haired fairy waiting for him. Wasting no time, the fairy descended and healed his wounds.

"We told you in the woods we are with you and to our word we hold," said the fairy. "I cannot stay but I can give you one word of advice. Take the elevator to the top floor before doing anything else. Farwell."

Before Link even had a chance to thank the fairy, it flew away. So Link got into the elevator and took it to the top floor. A long hall. More Goat Heads. And… oh joy! A key! Link was tempted to go back and get the candle right away but the hall continued onwards. What if he missed something important? Decisions, decisions. Oh well. Link continued down the hall.

There were two more Goat Heads, one Bot, and, oh crap, another Troll. Time for the Shield spell. This time the confrontation was more challenging. Link had to jump up onto a shelf in order to get at the Troll and doing that threw off his timing. Dodging three hammers he tumbled forward in a summersault and slew the Troll.

As he picked up the key behind where the Troll had been standing he noticed something odd. The Ironknuckle statue behind the key had a slit in its armored chest plate the exact size and shape of a blade. The slit had a faint red light glimmering from within. Link's curiosity got the better of him and he stuck his blade in. He wasn't sure what to expect and was ready for anything but he certainly was surprised when a red jar appeared out of mid-air. One sip told him this stuff was far more potent than the mixture in the blue jars. He felt ready for anything which was good because he still had to go back and get the candle.

This time he did pick up that bag on the bridge. On the other side of the bridge, he had a chance to examine its contents. It was full of a gold dust that turned into magic sparkles that surrounded him. Immediately Link was filled with a sense of great power as if he had just slain several enemies.

As soon as Link had gotten the candle and had found his way back upstairs to that second elevator, the logical conclusion seemed to be that he should take it down. And down he did go. And straight into the path of another Ironknuckle. This time Link's timing was off. The low ceiling didn't help either. Before Link finally managed to kill it he had gotten his arm pretty badly lacerated. And of course this was hardly the end of his troubles in this corridor. There were two Stalfos. There was a Troll that kept ducking through a locked gate. It was hard to open the gate without getting hit. Of course there was another Ironknuckle. You didn't think he'd seen the last of those babies, did you? Then nothing.

Link crept down the corridor to its very end and into a huge room with drapes hanging from the ceiling. He correctly guessed that this was the Guardian's lair. He had been expecting a dragon or large monster or something like that. Nothing could have prepared him for what he found. It was an eight foot tall man with the head of a horse.

Too say that Link was creeped out would be an understatement. Horsehead hadn't seemed to have noticed him yet. Link crept closer and closer. Still nothing. Link took one more step and then it happened. The creature's eyes flashed red and it seemed to come alive.

"AFE!"

Link screamed out the Shield spell almost in a panic. Horsehead inched towards Link, swinging its mace in a menacing manner. Link ran up and stabbed at its midsection only to discover that the creature's armor was impenetrable. No sooner had Link failed to pierce the armor than Horsehead swung its mace. Link had no time to get out of the way. The pain was indescribable. Link was knocked all the way across the room. Even with the Shield spell he knew he had been horribly injured and had the wind severely knocked out of him. As Link stood up, the blood ran down his clothes. It hurt to breathe. He was sure he was done for.

The head. He had to attack the head. It was the only part of Horsehead's body that was uncovered. But could he get to it without getting the crap knocked out of him again? Link crept up and as soon as Horsehead swung its mace he jumped up and made a wild slash at its head. Success! The blade swung home and its body flashed. Link was so excited he forgot to get out of the way.

BANG!

Once again, Link went flying. He was surprised to find that he was still alive and he had a horribly difficult time getting to his feet. He was coughing up blood now and he found that breathing was far more difficult now. Link was pretty sure he would be killed if that thing hit him again. Cautiously Link crept up again and as soon as the mace swung he jumped and stabbed. As soon as the sword hit its mark he jumped back. But now he had a new problem. He was running out of room as Horsehead crept closer. Link tried to retreat into the hallway but an invisible force field seemed to be keeping him in the room. Quickly he ran past Horsehead, getting kicked in the back on his way past. It took Horsehead a few seconds to turn around. Link used this as an opportunity to stab its head again.

As Horsehead advanced on him once again he had more room to work with. He easily used his fake-out and slash strategy twice more. Horsehead stopped moving completely and its body glowed. Before Link could wonder what this meant, Horsehead's body self-destructed in a brilliant flash of light. But the force fields were still up. He couldn't leave.

Just then, a key magically appeared and fell from the ceiling onto the floor. Link picked it up. When he checked again, the force fields were gone. Link used the key to unlock a gate and found himself face to face with a statue. So this was what Elezaar had been talking about. Link fumbled around in the small purse on his waist and pulled out one of the crystals. But what to do with it? He walked up and looked for an opening. Finding only one that he could reach, the mouth, he placed the crystal inside. Immediately the crystal turned from green to violet and ascended up the face of the statue until it settled into a notch in the forehead. Immediately a light surrounded Link. Not only were his injuries healed but the ripped fabric and bloodstains in clothes disappeared as did any exhaustion from fighting or from use of magic. As a bonus he felt his power skyrocket once again.

An Ironknuckle statue seemed to guard the unlocked door that exited the palace. Link opened the door and left. The most unusual thing happened when he walked away. He heard no noise, saw no flash, but when he turned around the palace had turned into a gigantic boulder.

End Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know I had told some people that this would be fifteen chapters long but I realized that Chapter 4 was just too long so I split it into two chapters and now the story will have sixteen chapters in the end.

Chapter 4

Well he was alive. Just because a person acts cocky sometimes doesn't necessarily mean they always believe in themselves completely; even after they have proven themselves quite well. Link sometimes felt like a fraud even though he had done something so extraordinary.

Now what? Go back to Impa? No, that would waste valuable time. Going south was out of the question as there was a giant roadblock on the path and he had not yet acquired the hammer. He didn't even know where it was. Best to head to Ruto. This required him to travel south back through the desert, the cave, and the forest until he reached the path. With the strength he had acquired no enemy he encountered could challenge him.

Taking the western path, Link noticed two forests he had not visited. One was a large patch of woods near Ruto. Nothing out of the ordinary there. But what was this little one off the path? It seemed odd to have such a small patch of woods in a grassy area. Well, it wasn't as if it would take him out of the way. But Link had had a few close calls in wooded areas.

Link was starting to develop certain instincts about his quest. Right now his instincts were telling him to check out the woods. Well it was just north of him. Link stepped off the path and into the woods. He wished Impa had let him bring his sheath. It was getting to be a pain in the ass carrying this sword in his hand every minute. But then again there were times when it proved to be a good idea to be ready to fight at all times. This proved to be one of those times. A few feet in, a group of Aches sprung at him from out of the trees. None of them hit him but man, they were good at evading his blade. After Link missed every single one of them they flapped back into the trees staring at him, seeming to mock him. Link took a few more steps and once again they attacked and missed as did he. This was frustrating. It seemed they wouldn't fly down unless he was right under them…

That was it! He walked under one and as soon as it flew down, he stepped back and used the Sting spell. In this manner he killed all three, one at a time. He was dismayed at how much tougher the bats were here. Keeses had been wimps but these things had given him a real run for his money. Link carefully searched the area and behind a tree found another P-Bag with its magic dust. Had it been worth the effort? Link wasn't sure but his instincts told him something was in the woods and indeed something had been there. It made sense to trust this instinct.

As the trail stretched on night fell and Link slept beneath the stars. Old witch could have at least let him take a sleeping bag but no. Good thing elves don't sweat much either or he would really stink by now. His kind rarely needed to bathe and could go quite some time without food. Not the case with water. Link was hungry but knew he could hold out until Ruto. Getting a drink would be difficult. The Tantari desert was to the north, the lake housing the North Palace to the south was too far away, and who knows what surprises would have awaited him in the woods?

By noon the next day when Link reached Ruto he thought he'd just die from thirst. After wandering the city streets ignoring everyone, he finally found a kind young girl with a water jug who was all too happy to give him a drink. Link wondered if these people too knew who he was already. So far no one had seemed to recognize him….

"Do not go south without a candle."

"I beg you pardon?" asked Link.

"You are the chosen warrior, are you not?" asked the girl with the water jug. Link slowly nodded. It seemed anonymity would not be an option while this crest marked him. Perhaps if he wore gloves…

"The caves around here are treacherous," continued the girl. "You would need to take a long dangerous cave to reach the area south of here. You wouldn't have a chance against the monsters there if you couldn't even see them."

In reply Link pulled out the Red Candle. "Thanks so much for the drink and the advice," he said. "I'll be OK, though."

"Well just in case you're not OK, there are two women here who can restore health and magic," said the girl. "We're here to help you. We don't want the forces of Ganon to win any more than you do." With that she headed off on her way. Link was always suspicious of strangers. It was hard for him to have to rely on these townspeople now. Well, may as well see what these people had to say.

"Hello young fellow."

"Sorry, I know nothing."

"Hello."

"I am much to busy to talk to a stranger."

Oh goodie! More of this bullcrap. Just what he wanted to hear. Was that another city hall? Link stuck his head in. Sure enough, there was the town chieftain having lunch. He looked up to see Link standing in the doorway. Before Link could say one word his stomach rumbled quite loudly. Link blushed in embarrassment.

"Well stranger, if you were looking for a free meal you came to the right place," joked the chieftain. "The food is paid for with tax dollars. Come, sit and eat. I am Error, chieftain of Ruto.

"Thanks so much," replied Link. As he ate he kept watching Error to see if the man paid any attention to his crest. Error seemed far too interested in the fish he was eating to notice it or really to pay much attention to his visitor.

"Well then, are you from Rauru?" asked Error once the two of them had finished eating (which was not for quite some time).

"Not quite," replied Link. "I'm not exactly from around here.

"Oh you don't say," replied Error. "Well we don't get too many foreign visitors in these parts nowadays. With all them there monsters, well things just ain't safe. But you do seem to be prepared for such an occasion." He pointed at Link's sword and shield. "You a foreign soldier or something?"

"Not exactly," replied Link. "I'm just a knucklehead who's someplace he shouldn't be doing things he shouldn't do."

Error laughed. "Well ain't we all now? Tell me, what brings you to Ruto?"

"The free banquets!" joked Link. The two had a good laugh over that. "Actually, I'm looking for the Oracle here. Do you know where I might find him?"

"A warrior AND a wizard you are," replied Error. "And a freeloader too I might say. Well Old Man Ruto ain't quite so friendly as I, I'm afraid. He doesn't even like the people here that much. I can only imagine what he'd think of a stranger. But if you insist he can be found down the street. I don't much trust magicians myself. Boy, if I were you, I'd use caution around him."

"I will. And thank you so much."

Link ran out in a hurry. Just then something grabbed his arm. It startled the hell out of him and he very nearly stabbed the person who did it. Thank goodness he didn't. It was a little old woman who was breathing hard and looked as if she'd collapse any minute.

"Hammer….Spectacle Rock…. Death Mountain…"

Link nearly vomited when he heard that. "Do you mean to tell me that if I want to get the magic hammer I have to go all the way back…"

Just then the woman fainted and Link caught her before she hit the ground. Before he could even yell for help, the young girl who seemed to be the town healer ran up. Chanting a few words over the woman, she awoke.

By now quite a crowd had formed. The old woman was so embarrassed. "I am so sorry," she muttered to Link. "Someone told me the one bearing the crest was in town and I was running all over town to find you. Guess I shouldn't try that at my age."

"Come on Baruca," said the healer. "We'll get you home." She and Link supported the old woman and helped her back to her house where a young but plump woman ran out to meet them.

"Mother! Oh goodness, what happened?"

"It's all right," said the healer in a calming voice. "Baruca just overexerted herself a little, that's all."

"Honey," gasped old Baruca excitedly, "It's HIM! This is the one with the crest."

"That's great mom," replied the woman. "Let's get you to bed, alright?"

She, Link, and the healing woman helped Baruca inside and put her to bed. Her daughter tried to calm her and get her to drink something but she kept insisting her daughter give Link the map under her bed. "I will mom, please try to calm down and get some rest. Promise me you will."

Baruca nodded as her daughter, Link and the healer stepped into the kitchen. "She'll be fine, Emma," said the healer. "But she really got excited when she saw this young fellow here. Guess even at her age she still knows a stud when she sees one." The healer had a good laugh over her own joke. "I have to get back home now. Keep her in bed and make sure she doesn't try to cook for anyone." With that she took her leave of them.

No sooner had she left than Emma took a hold of Links hand and examined the crest. "Well I'll be," she muttered. "So you've come at last. Thank you so much for bringing my mother home."

"Oh it was no trouble really," said Link shyly.

"My mother helped some of the local chieftains set up some roadblocks several years ago to prevent Ganon's forces from coming too close. She knows exactly where they hid the magic hammer that can help an ally pass through them. She was very eager to give it to the one who had this crest."

"I have to go all the way back to Spectacle Rock?"

"I'm afraid so," said Emma. "A maze of caves was cut through the mountain so that only an ally would know how to reach it. Anyone else would be lost." She handed him a map. "As you can see, this is also a more direct route than any other paths that go through the mountain. Spectacle Rock has become quite run down since Ganon died. The place has fallen apart. Sadly, I'm sure the monsters have moved back in since then."

"I don't mean to be rude," said Link. "But I have to get going right away if I have to travel that far."

"Well the only advice I can give you is this: Use keys in palaces they are found in," said Emma. "Don't try to skip any doors so you can save keys for later. You might miss something important."

Link thanked her and left but no sooner had he stepped out than another villager recognized his crest. "Find magic in a cave south of the castle," he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Link. "Is there an oracle there?"

"No," replied the man. "But there is a vial of fairy water there. It will permanently increase your ability to use magic. It was placed there decades ago in anticipation of your coming. Just look south of the North Palace."

Link thanked the man as the villager quickly departed. Link noticed a girl outside her house staring at him intently. No doubt she had spotted his crest too. Link waited long for her to speak but she never did.

"Friendly people you have here," said Link who was feeling awkward about the silence. Still she said nothing. "Seems I can't take two steps without someone trying to help me."

"Well they have a reason not to like followers of Ganon," she finally replied. "Goriya of Tantari stole our trophy. We won it in a jousting competition last year. It wasn't valuable but it had great sentimental value."

"Then why'd he take it?" asked Link.

"Bait," replied the girl. "Our best fighters were lured away from our village out to Tantari to retrieve it. None ever returned. Now we are defenseless and only the enchanted path keeps demons away. I suppose these people will trust anyone who comes here eager to fight the darkness."

"But you don't, do you?"

The girl sighed. "If you are who you say you are, don't go further. You'd just be throwing your life away. And if you're a member of the Cult of Ganon I hope you die."

She walked away while Link registered a double take. Just then something occurred to him. Tantari desert had a large cave. Goriyas had been cave dwelling creatures when Link had known them. True, he had seen a couple above ground here in the north but if that trophy was anywhere it had to be up there. Link knew he needed to earn the trust of these villages. They had helped him so much already. But would it make more sense to get the fairy water first? Well if many warriors had perished in Tantari it would be wiser to get stronger first. Link headed south.

Fortunately for Link the forest and grasslands to the south held few surprises. Just a lot of Moblins. It was still amazing to see how much more aggressive they had become but none of them laid so much as a hand on Link. By nightfall he reached the cave.

Not surprisingly, a swarm of Lowders came charging at him right away. The strategy these creatures were used to using in dealing with their prey was skulking around in the dark and striking unseen. With the cave illuminated they had no chance.

What was this? Link found himself face-to-face with a very familiar old foe. Octorocks. He had never seen an Octorock in a cave before nor had he ever seen one jump before but given all the odd things he'd been seeing lately it wasn't that shocking. Quickly dispatching all three of them he found his way to the end of the cave. And there it was. The bottle of fairy water. He had wondered on the way to the cave if this vial was not indeed poison. I mean if the Cult of Ganon couldn't beat him by force thus far, perhaps they could pose as allies and trick him into drinking something toxic. As soon as Link came near the vial he knew this was not the case. His very fingertips felt the tingle of magic that came from this thing. The fairy water also had no taste other than water but he felt the effect immediately. Since he had emptied the cave of enemies, Link decided to spend the night there.

Link overslept because, of course, the morning sun didn't wake him up when he was all the way in the back of a cave. It was eleven o'clock before he set out. The journey back north was uneventful. Within a few hours he reached the cave in Tantari only to be greeted my more Aches and Octorocks. These sorts of enemies were a mere annoyance more than anything. The real challenge was the Goriya. It was no ordinary Goriya either. It was bright red in color and seemed much more fierce than the last one he had faced. Link tried his best to block and dodge all his boomerangs but it was just no use. He was hit several times. The Goriya exhibited great endurance. It took a surprising number of wounds to kill it.

Blood from a head wound was running down Link's forehead, getting in his eyes and making it hard to see. He did his best to wipe it away. There on a rocky shelf was the trophy. It was solid platinum and was carved in the shape of a cherub. No wonder these people liked this thing so much. It was beautifully crafted and must have been worth a king's ransom. Tucking the trophy under his shield arm, Link turned to go.

You know what they say about when you assume? You make an ASS out of U and ME. Well Link had assumed he had killed every enemy in the cave. Yet somehow on his way out there was a very much alive Ache flying around that Link hadn't been looking for. Therefore he was totally unprepared when it swooped down and sunk its fangs into the back of his neck. It wouldn't let go and was biting with all its might. Have you ever tried to stab a fifty pound bat that is perched on your back biting your neck? It ain't easy, let me tell you. Once it was dead Link was filled with rage. He wished it was still alive so he could pound the crap out of it mercilessly THEN kill it. In his frustration he kicked the rock but all that accomplished was to hurt his own foot.

It was nearly three in the morning when a battered and bruised Link returned to Ruto. His first stop was the healer. Then he searched the streets for Error. He figured the chieftain would be more interested that anyone in the return of the trophy but he couldn't find him anywhere. That's when he spotted the skeptical girl from earlier. "Here, Merry Christmas," said Link sarcastically as he handed her the trophy. He was in a bad mood and expected no pleasant greeting from her. But sometimes you underestimate people.

"You saved our trophy!" the girl nearly screamed in delight. "Come see my uncle." And before Link could react she grabbed him by the arm and practically dragged him down the street to her house.

The second Link stepped inside the house he knew the Oracle lived here. The smell of magic was strong. "Wait here," instructed the girl. "When I show him this he'll have kittens!" She ran downstairs excitedly. A few minutes later she came back up. "He wants to see you. Go downstairs. Oh you are so wonderful!" In her excitement she hugged Link. Something felt wrong. Link couldn't put his finger on it but something just felt so wrong.

Slowly Link entered the basement and found himself before old Ruto himself. Ruto walked up slowly and, like everyone else, grabbed his hand and looked at the crest. He spoke not a word but walked around Link in a full circle seeming to study him. At last he spoke. "With this you can jump very high. AGDA!"

Just as with last time, it was as if the moment he spoke this magical word, it was imprinted into Link's memory. Link doubted he could forget it if he wanted to. He didn't ask any questions, the spell seemed pretty self-explanatory.

"Fate has a strange sense of humor," continued Ruto. "I have learned to expect the unexpected. One might have expected the chosen one to be a giant ox of a man, over thirty years old with dozens of wars under his belt. I knew that wouldn't be the case. We have had dozens of men come through our town meeting that description and all of them died in Tantari like fools. You are young, that is true. But you have great strength and have obviously seen many battles and carry wisdom beyond your years. It is late. Stay here tonight. Tomorrow you must head south towards the cave that will take you to the marshes."

He lead Link upstairs and to the attic of the house. "I haven't been up here in fifteen years," said Ruto. "I haven't left the house in twenty years and I haven't left the basement in five years. I can't even remember the last time I left town. I am nearly finished. My life is coming to an end soon. May I live just long enough to see this evil extinguished once and for all."

No sooner had Link fallen asleep than he knew immediately why the girl's hug had felt so wrong. He hadn't dreamt about Zelda in quite a while but now it hit him harder than ever. He must have been restless. When he woke up, he was several miles south of Ruto near the cave entrance. He had walked that far in his sleep!

By the time Link exited that cave he was not only bruised and bloodied, but burned as well. The Lowders and Octorocks hadn't done him any real harm, but those two Red Goriyas were murder. But it was the Aches that had fooled him. After killing a couple he saw another one that was red in color. He had tried to use his usual strategy against it but to his horror, the Ache landed on the ground and transformed into a gargoyle-like creature. Before he could react, the Acheman spit a fireball in his direction. It shattered the shield and burned him badly. As the magic of the shield caused it to regenerate, the charred flesh on his chest constricted, making it hard to breathe. The next time it landed he stabbed at it wildly, killing it before it had a chance to attack again. He had also had to exhaust some of his magic power. The exit was too high to reach without the jump spell. Fortunately for Link there was a small fairy waiting for him in the patch of woods outside the cave. The pain of a third degree burn is beyond description.

Now the real fun began. Marshes are difficult to walk through. Link would have had to cross the marshes anyway and at least there were no Goriyas there. Damn those things were irritating! In the marsh all he had to worry about were Octorocks and Mobies. There was a cave here but it was blocked by a roadblock (a roadblock but no road, go figure). But Link certainly couldn't ignore pillars sticking out of the ground. What was this? As he edged closer and closer the ground became solid rock. There on the ground was a wooden doll that looked exactly like Link. Was it a trap? It seemed to smell of fairy magic but it didn't heal him when he picked it up. Thinking nothing of it, he placed it in the small purse on his belt.

The map indicated two paths to get to Saria. One would take him way out of his way so at first he took the closest one. That was until he got he first look at Bago Bagos. He liked to steer clear of enemies that moved in odd patterns but these also spit rocks. He decided to take the other bridge. A short detour through the woods lead him to a small patch of desert. No sooner had he set one toe on the sand than he was accosted by two Blue Goriyas. Not having a death wish, he took on only one of them and escaped. A small patch of forest nearby concealed a fairy but he was in no need of healing now.

At first when Link stepped onto the bridge he thought he'd hit the jackpot. He saw only Lowders. Only Lowders and…a freaky looking guy wrapped in black. It was the Cult again. The Cult member laughed evilly. "Don't look so shocked. Saria is our turf my friend." With that he cast his bubble spell and vanished. Once again those explosive magic bubbles began to rise out of the water and Link had to play a rather interesting game of tag. He made it through without being hit but was getting a little irritated. The P-Bag he found in a small patch of woods was no consolation either. Well on to Saria.

The second he entered town he knew something was wrong. Though it was noon the sky seemed unusually dark within the city limits of Saria. A young man stood by the road as if he were waiting for something. Sure enough, as soon as he saw Link's crest he approached him with great anxiety apparent in his eyes. "Eyes of Ganon are everywhere," he warned. "Be careful! If I were you I'm not sure I would trust anyone in this town."

"Yes, I got that impression," replied Link. "It's like walking into downtown hell. Thanks for the warning. "

Link continued on his way. He could have sworn the people he saw only pretended to ignore him. Or was he just being paranoid?

"Hello."

Link turned to see who had spoken. It was a young girl in a red dress carrying a water jug. "You're the guy, aren't you? You're the one here to save us! Oh I have been praying so long for this day. You are him, aren't you?"

"That depends who's asking," replied Link cautiously.

"Oh don't worry about that," replied the girl with a giggle. "I'm someone who knows how very important your quest is. Something so very important that…well… I CAN'T LET YOU COMPLETE IT!"

With a howl of rage the girl transformed into a purple Ache and viciously bit Link in the arm. At the same moment several other villagers also turned into Aches and attacked. Everyone else on the street fled in terror. Link had never fought on a city street before. He had always considered towns to be safe havens. Link slashed wildly, killing three of them. Two others hovered upwards and if they had retreated they wouldn't have been killed. But they were determined and tried to dive bomb him. He slew them both. People cautiously emerged again from their homes. A scream came from down the street. In all the confusion the man who had warned Link had been stabbed in the back unnoticed.

"Quick, get him to the healer!" yelled Link.

"Too late for that," said a villager sadly. "He's dead. And look at this." The villager pointed to the man's forehead in which was carved the letters HLG.

"HLG?" said the villager in confusion.

"Holy Legion of Gannon," replied Link. "A Cult member got to him." Link had to resist the urge to vomit. The man had obviously had these letters carved into his head before he died.

"Get out of here!" screamed a little boy. "You did this! They wouldn't have done this if you hadn't come."

Immediately the boy's mother grabbed him and hushed him. "I'm sorry sir," she said. "But maybe it would be better if you go. It's not that we think you're a bad person, we're just…scared."

"I won't spend one minute longer here than I need to," promised Link. "But I can't leave just yet." He walked away trying not to pay attention to the stares of the townspeople.

As he passed a brick house a girl came outside and started searching for something on all fours. "I lost my mirror," she said to Link. "I'm sure you're wondering what on earth this silly girl is doing here on the ground. Well I'm just looking for it."

"No I'm not wondering that," replied Link. "I'm wondering two things. I'm wondering how you could be concerned over something so frivolous when a man's just been killed and I'm wondering if you'll turn into a bat if I get to close."

"Killed! Who was killed?" asked the girl.

"A man down the street…"

Link didn't have a chance to finish. The girl ran down the street. Link sighed and went on. Poor girl. Must have been a terrible shock. Shame to have to have news like that delivered so roughly as well. Link was hesitant to seek advice from anyone and the only useful information offered was "In Midoro Swamp find a handy glove" whatever that meant.

Link stopped at what appeared to be the town hall and stopped inside. The place was empty. He was just about to leave when a flash of light caught his eye underneath the table. It was a mirror. Well he didn't need to ask where that came from. He'd wait for a better time to return it. The girl was in shock now.

It seemed people in these villages weren't good about home security. He passed a house with the door wide open and… WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? Link peered inside and couldn't believe his eyes. It was a Bot sleeping on a table. Unlike the others, it was purple in color. Now this was just ridiculous. Link's curiosity got the better of him. Cautiously he crept inside and placed the flat of his sword on top of the Bot trying to nudge it awake. At first it didn't work but after a couple of attempts it woke up. Link jumped back, sword in hand ready for a fight. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. It spoke! "Let me be!" it hollered. "Master is in woods north of river!" And with that it went back to sleep.

"OK," said Link to himself. "It's official. I've cracked up." Link got out real quick and hurried down the street to the healer's house.

"You don't happen to do any psychiatry as well, do you?" asked Link as the girl healed him.

"Why?" asked the girl with a giggle.

"I'm serious," replied Link. "I just went to a house with a purple talking Bot. Now either this town is stranger than I thought or I'm one card short of a full deck."

"You must have gone to Bagu's," replied the girl with a grin. "He is certainly a strange one. He's a woodsman who typically stays in a cabin in the woods north of here. He has homes here and in Nabooru but rarely uses either of them. He has a way with animals and can even tame monsters."

"And you let this guy live here?"

"What can I say? He pays his rent on time every month."

Link was starting to wonder if he wasn't the crazy one after all. These people were nuts! After thanking the healer he went on. Directly in front of him was the river. He walked into the bridge keeper's house fully expecting to get across.

"Only town folk may cross this river!" scowled the river man.

"What kind of crap is that?" growled Link. "Look pal, I'm on an important quest to save the world here. I don't have time for this. Now lower the bridge or I'll flatten you!"

"Town folk only! No exceptions!" hollered the bridge keeper ignoring Link's threat. For a moment Link considered making good on that threat but it was bad enough having the Cult after him. He certainly didn't need a posse on his tail as well.

"Jackass!" muttered Link as he left. Great. Now what would he do? Town folk only? Would he have to get a house in town just to cross the river? He wandered back up north. Maybe someone could help him. But who? One thing was certain. Saria was no place to look for help of any kind.

"Here you go," said Link handing the mirror back to the girl who lost it as he passed her on the street.

"Oh! You found my mirror!" exclaimed the girl. "Follow me!"

"Sure. Trust a complete stranger in this of all towns," said Link. "No thanks."

"But my grandfather is the town Oracle," said the girl. "Don't you want to see him?"

"Oracle?" Link had to think that one over. If she was lying and he followed her into a house he was trapped. If she was telling the truth, he'd be passing up on some strong magic. "Let's go," said Link making up his mind at last.

A few moments later, Link found himself in yet another basement in front of yet another old man. "Use this magic to restore your life," said the old man. "ADAK!"

So that was how the town healers did their job! Link had wondered about that. Those girls must have muttered that spell after mastering it. It occurred to him not to rely on this spell. It would eat up his magic. No doubt these girls could replenish their magic somehow.

"This magic may restore life, but it will not help get you past the river," said Old Saria, seeming to read Link's mind.

"Yeah," said Link angrily. "Can you believe that stuck up bureaucratic jackass telling me…"

"That jackass is my nephew," interrupted Saria.

"As I was saying, that dear sweet completely reasonable man is sadly and through no fault of his own unable to let me cross," stammered Link. "But perhaps if you said something to him, being his kinsman and all…"

"No dice," replied Saria. "What he really wanted from you was a bribe and he'd expect the same from me. But if you were to make friends with a drinking buddy of his, say one who lives north of here and chops wood all day…"

"I get it," smirked Link. "Mums the word. And thanks."

Link took off in a hurry. This time he was all too willing to cross the bridge with the Bago Bagos. It wasn't easy and he got knocked around a little in the process but he made it across in one piece. His search through the woods for Bagu was, however, disappointing. All he seemed to find were Megmets, Megmets, and even more Megmets. It was getting dark too. Just as he was about to give up and return to the path he stumbled out of the woods and into a small clearing. The clearing contained one single yellow cabin. This had to be it! Link approached the entrance carefully and knocked on the door.

"Door's open!" called a husky voice from inside. Link opened the door carefully and entered to see a large man with a red beard cooking a stew over a fire. The man turned around to get a look at his visitor. "Well hello friend," he said with a slight grin. "Bagu is my name. Show my note to river man. He's buddy of mine, he'll let you pass."

Link stared in amazement. "That is why you came, isn't it?" asked Bagu. "No one ever shows up on my doorstep for social calls."

"That is why I came but I also wanted to see the man who could actually tame some of these demons," said Link. "What you've done is amazing. I went to your house and saw the trained Bot you have there."

"Oh, so you saw Terah," said Bagu with a laugh. "You can imagine the kind of reaction I used to get taking him for a walk on the village streets. Now that town's turned so evil I don't dare go back except to go drinking with the river man on Saturday nights. He's a greedy dishonest bastard, that's true, but he's my only friend. Well… my only elf friend that is. Want to know a secret about demons?" Link nodded. Bagu leaned closer and whispered. "The smaller weaker ones are crazy about turkey livers." Bagu sat back and laughed as if he had said the funniest thing in the world. "Well now you know all about me, but I know nothing about you my friend. What brings you to this region in such a bad time as this?"

Something about this guy made Link trust him completely. He told Bagu everything. Everything. "You don't say!" said an amazed Bagu when Link was finished. "Well whether that's all true or whether it's a load of crap a story like that at least deserves room and board for the night. You won't offend me by saying no, will you?" Link nodded in agreement. "Don't get me wrong, you look to be telling the truth and truth is stranger than fiction but tales don't get no weirder than the one you just told me. Best story I've heard in a long time, it was."

After a wild night of feasting, drinking, and dirty limericks, the two fell asleep. Early the next day a very hung over Link woke up long before Bagu. He felt bad about leaving without saying goodbye to his host but he didn't want to wake him up and he really needed to get a move on. On his way back across the bridge, a rock fired by a Bago Bago hit him in the stomach and in his condition, he barfed all over the ghost fish. "Serves you right," muttered Link.

Back in Saria his first stop was to the healer. Oddly enough her spell cured not only his wounds but his hangover as well. Heading back to the river, he stopped to see the bridge keeper. "You again?" asked the river man with his hand out quite conspicuously. "Look pal, I told you…" To his surprise, the river man found a note placed in his palm instead of rupies. He picked it up and read it. "You know Bagu?" he asked. Link nodded. "Then I can help you cross." He reached for a lever on the wall to lower the bridge. Link didn't stick around to talk with this creep any further. He had to get to that hammer today and get back before nightfall. He pulled out the map of the cave systems. "Well here goes nothing." He took the tunnel to the south through Death Mountain and entered the cave system.

End Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Link headed east for the first cave. Pretty basic stuff in there. Some Bots. Some Moblins. No big deal. A few moments later he was outside again. Next he took another cave to the east. Some Ocktorocks and… oh damn, it was a Blue Goriya. Since when could Goriyas throw two boomerangs at once? Taking a few lumps, he slew the Goriya and exited. East again. Cave three. Some Aches, Bots, he ignored the elevator as per instructions…YIPES!

No one had remembered to warn Link about Darias and now he was confronted with one of these giant crocodilian monsters coming straight at him. Link kept his wits about him. Using the Stalfos strategy, he sliced it in the legs. He jumped back and then decided to switch up and go for the head. Well his blow landed but so did the Daria's. Ever had someone slam a battle axe into your stomach? Link was nearly blinded by the pain and coughed up blood. Quickly he stabbed the Daria one more time killing it. Link was in trouble now. Should he use the Life spell? What if greater need came later? He could still move. He decided to proceed as long as he was capable and if he lost too much blood he would use the spell.

How Link managed to keep going, I'll never know. It was a stupid decision not to use the spell. He was light-headed and in terrible pain and it got worse every second. He could scarcely breathe. When he emerged from the cave he was attacked by Blue Moblins and the effort of fighting them off almost sent him into a coma. He had to rest for an hour before going east once more for the next cave. There was a bridge with Bago Bagos but nothing too serious. He had learned how to deal with them by now.

East again, another cave…no…NO! It was so unfair. Up on a high ledge was a red jar but guarding it was a Red Daria. This thing had a bag of axes and could throw them. As Link correctly guessed, they couldn't be stopped by a shield. Abandoning all strategy, Link ran at the Daria screaming at stabbed at it wildly. He was victorious but… "Ungh…"

An axe had hit him in the head, damaging his brain. Link's eyesight was gone completely. He was bleeding to death. His motor functions were badly inhibited. What was that word he needed to say? He was lying in his own blood, Bots biting on his legs and his damaged brain couldn't function. Oh if only he could remember before he died there in that cave! He'd never see anyone he cared about ever again. He'd never see…

ZELDA!

He could see her! Or was it a dream? She was walking right towards him! Or was he dead? She leaned over and kissed him. "I've been watching you all your life," she whispered. "I was a part of the living world as a spirit rather than as a mortal person. I saw you grow up, I was there when you defeated Ganon, I was there when you lost your love. I saw your greatest tribulations and triumphs. And I have been SO very much in love with you for the longest time. You are my very life now and the only reason I would want to wake up. Don't die my love. The word is Agda."

Could Link even speak in this condition? With a superhuman effort Link struggled to his feet.

"AGDA!"

Link jumped straight up and by some miracle landed on a platform and groped blindly for the jar. He found it! He took a drink. Oh what was that other word? He couldn't even remember his own name right now. Oh what was it?

"I love you too," he heard himself say, if only in his mind. "I don't know why, but I felt something so beautiful and pure beyond anything in this world… I don't even know who I am right now. But I know who Zelda is. My dearest… I WON'T DIE!"

"ADAK!"

Link wasn't 100 healed of all his wounds but his head was OK and he had no life-threatening injuries. But she was gone when he opened his eyes. The disappointment was so great that he very nearly cried. In a sudden rage he dashed out of the cave and south into the next one where he ruthlessly slaughtered the powerful Goriya and Daria that lurked there without a thought and without so much as a scratch to himself. It was rather satisfying. And he was rather astonished at his own strength. Heading south to another cave, he killed two more Darias.

He was getting close now. Heading south once more the two Darias in the next cave had bad positions and couldn't reach him. He stabbed them to death between axe swings. He left the cave. He was back. Back in South Hyrule. And the sight that greeted him was surprising. The east boulder of Spectacle rock was gone. It was a big hole in the ground now. The bigger surprise was when he entered. The elaborate underground bunker where he had slain Ganon was all hollowed out now. Aside from his candle, there was no light.

No time for nostalgia. A Red Daria was attacking. Using a strategy of leaping over the axes and ducking down and stabbing upon landing he seemed to be working. But what was this? The Daria backed into a tunnel with a low ceiling taking away Link's advantage. Could he lure it out? Link pretended to run away and the Daria came out just far enough so that he could finish it off without letting it retreat again.

Two more Achemen were in the cave but he was ready this time and slew them both before they even landed. After being accosted by some unsuccessful Megmets, Link faced off against another Daria. Using the Stalfos strategy only and working fast, he killed it and took the elevator downstairs.

Almost there!

One more Red Daria greeted him. This one wanted to retreat into a hall too and luring it out wasn't as easy as last time but Link triumphed. As he leapt over several lava pits he never saw the Myu until it was too late. Its thorns went straight through his foot and the blow sent him flying backwards headfirst into the lava. He was dead.

Or was he? Link found himself standing at the other end of the series of lava pits without a scratch. Was he a ghost? No, he seemed to be alive. Just then his purse opened by itself and the little wooden figure of himself he had found earlier floated up into the air and vanished. Now Link understood this amazing gift the fairies had given him and was choked up with gratitude. This time the Myu was gone and Link safely crossed.

He could tell he was close and nothing, not even the two Darias that attacked him were going to stop him now. He slew them both much quicker than usual (not without a mild shoulder wound though) and claimed his prize. The magic hammer was his at last! Sadly there seemed to be no quick way out of this cave but that was a very minor issue now.

Well it took him a while to get out and as soon as he was back outside he had the truly inspired idea to test his new hammer. OK, maybe it wasn't that inspired. The hammer itself was pretty tiny and by its own merits probably couldn't have crushed a pebble. But this thing smelled of strong magic and when he hit the other boulder of Spectacle Rock with it, the whole thing shattered. The ground beneath it was unstable and Link fell face-first into darkness. Yet even that spill had been worth it. He found more fairy water inside.

Well, Spectacle Rock, a living monument to the victory over Ganon was gone now. Link had mixed feelings about that but didn't dwell on it long. The map indicated an exit route he should now take. Heading east, he breezed through a cave of Octorocks and headed due north. The path led him straight through another empty cave directly onto a bridge teeming with Moblins. It was bad enough that the second half of the bridge had a Red Daria. What made matters worse was that apparently the Cult had gotten there before him. He beat the Daria without getting hit but a bubble blew off some of the flesh on his leg.

Getting off the bridge lead Link to a truly frightening place. It was the royal graveyard. Link didn't even want to know the sort of evil he might encounter in a place like that. He kept his distance and stayed towards the edge. He was about to head north when his instincts kicked in again. What was to the south? A little walking and fighting brought him to a dune where a familiar scent caught his attention. Was a fairy nearby? No. Link grinned as he found another wooden figure of himself. He felt abandoned from time to time. It was moments like this that made his journey possible. Perhaps his allies really did outnumber his enemies.

Avoiding the tombs, Link headed north to the path. Link had completely forgotten that there was a town in this area but the port town of Mido, named after the most powerful of mages was right there. It was getting dark and he was injured but after what had happened in Saria you could hardly blame him for being nervous. He needn't have worried.

After meeting the healer the only danger he faced was more irritating and useless small talk. Most of what occurred in the town was pretty boring and hardly worth writing about. A young man advised him to ask Error about the palace, a boy advised him that the Island Palace had a raft, a woman begged him to help cure her sick daughter. But one truly odd thing happened. A woman approached him and handed him a small prayer book. Now many of the people of Hyrule were deeply religious. They had no Bible or religious history and worshipped a God they didn't understand. And yet some were so devout. Link wasn't sure what to say. "Well…um…Thanks," he said at last.

"You're very welcome," replied the girl with a sweet smile.

"Well I don't really know anything about religion but it is a relief to see people worship a real God instead of Ganon," he said with a weak smile.

"I know," said the girl. "The treachery and blasphemy they have committed strikes this land deep and affects us all. But to the bearer of the crest, I'm sure it strikes deepest." Link looked into her eyes and suddenly realized she knew exactly what he had suffered.

"There are indeed forces of good at work in this world and they pull the strings in reality," she continued. "You and I have something in common. We both work for the divine origin of these forces whether you are aware of this or not. I have a riddle for you. No one is here but a church bell will ring. Figure that one out." With that she took her leave of him.

Link walked back over to where he had seen the town church but there was no bell to be heard. Curiosity drove him to examine the building further. There was no unlocked door but there was a large window on the second floor. Link cast the Jump spell and jumped into the building. Nothing. No sound, no one around, and still no bells. But there was a basement. Perhaps the town Oracle was here. He had never heard of an Oracle setting up shop in a church before but live and learn.

Nope. No Oracle. What Link discovered was far more interesting. A man sat in prayer surrounded by candles. The man gave no indication that he had noticed Link at all. Link was suddenly overcome by a fear that he was intruding. He turned to leave.

"Stay a while, Link, son of Ur."

Link turned in amazement. "Who are you?" he asked. "Are you a prophet?"

"No," replied the man. "I spoke with Impa two days ago. I know who you are and even if I hadn't known you I would have guessed your quest by the crest on your hand. In these hard times I offer you my aid. I am Marcellus, preacher of Mido."

"I'd appreciate anything you could do for me," said Link.

"But you're afraid all I'll tell you to do is pray a lot, aren't you?" asked Marcellus. Link nodded weakly. "Well it's a good thought and all truly good thoughts lead us to the Holy One. But prayer is meaningless without effort. I was once a man of war myself. Believe me Link, I am no pacifist. I will show you a powerful technique to destroy your foes and I ask but one thing in return."

"What's that?" asked Link. "If you want a donation for charity or something, I'm tapped out."

"I know," replied Marcellus. "I have no doubt there is little you wouldn't do for those who need you. Which is why I like you already. The request is this: don't hate the people who have sided with Ganon."

"Say that again?" asked Link in amazement.

"Life unlike death offers us time," said Marcellus. "Time lets us come to the right conclusion. There is hope for them yet. I sense strong hatred in you. Striking down even the most foul of villains with hate in your heart will only consume you."

"I can't help that," said Link.

"You can," replied Marcellus firmly. "What if you vanquish them all and win the war but lose yourself in the process?" Marcellus held up a mirror to Link's face. "Allow that to happen and this will be the next evil overlord to reign terror on this land. And you will reign alone. The lady who loved you and by whose affections over time you came too love her too will be lost to you."

Link was silent. He couldn't think of something devilishly clever to say in response to that. It also hadn't occurred to him that he had sensed Zelda's strong feelings for him and somehow this in turn was part of what caused him to love her right back.

"Give me your sword," instructed Marcellus. Link obeyed at once. Marcellus took the sword and focused. Suddenly he jumped high into the air but it was more like floating than jumping really. He ascended very slowly and then, much more quickly than gravity and other laws of physics should have allowed, he flew straight downward, sword first. The sword hit with unbelievable force but to Link's amazement the blade was not shattered.

"Like I said, "continued Marcellus, "I was a soldier for over twenty years. But I sensed the battle between good and evil could be fought with a more long term solution in mind. That desire to destroy evil at its very source led me here. The fact is neither you nor I have the power within us to destroy evil. We can fight for what is right on both the battlefield and the lectern. We can choose to fight back against the darkness within ourselves with all our might. That is all that is required of us mortals. The great supernatural conflict between good and evil is far greater than us and out of our hands. With a little divine intervention we can hope to conquer our own hearts."

He muttered some soft words over Link and the room flashed. He handed Link his sword back. "You now have this ability as well. Use it wisely and without malice considering only the defense of innocent life."

Once again, Link was speechless. Oracle? Who needs an Oracle? This guy was amazing!

"It's alright," said Marcellus who seemed to sense how overwhelmed Link felt. "Just win. Save the people and yourself, that is your mission now. Perhaps when all this is over you and I will have more to discuss. One other thing. There was another soldier from my group who can teach you an upward cleave. This I cannot perform myself. I believe he lives on the Eastern Island. If you see him, mention my name. If he still regards me well he will assist you."

To Link's shock, Marcellus embraced him. "Farwell, and God be with you. May we meet again in times of peace."

Moments later a stunned Link was out on the street again. He had never been an atheist but had never been one for religion either. Link was not well educated in philosophy nor was he a deep thinker but he was basically a decent fellow who in the end wanted to be counted as one of the recognized "good guys". To his sense of logic the enemy of his enemy was his friend which is why he decided to take what Marcellus said about God seriously.After all, God opposed Ganon, right? Heck, God logically must have been the ringleader of those who opposed Ganon.

Darkness now covered the land as night fell but Link didn't want to go to sleep. He felt like he could stay awake for a week. But what to do in the meantime? In the night hours that passed, Link visited the three caves north of Saria, two of which were blocked by boulders. The first two had a heart icon and a P-Bag respectively and no dangerous enemies. The third was in the swamp and a trifle bit more difficult. Not only were there plenty of Bago Bagos there, but three Darias awaited him. It seemed like a good time to try out his new technique. The first Daria attacked only to swing its axe and hit the dust Link had been standing on a moment ago. He didn't look up until it was too late. WHAM! With an amazing amount of force Link slammed his blade straight through the top of the Daria's head. It never knew what hit it, nor did the other two. It felt good to have these freaks on the defensive for once.

Link was in for a big surprise. He wasn't sure what to expect at the back of this cave and he was certainly not expecting to find red healing water anywhere on this quest but here it was. Now for the first time that night he was starting to feel a little tired and the cave was clear of enemies. Maybe he should…

THE GIRL! He had forgotten that a mother had come to him panicked about her child's health and hoping he would possess some knowledge of foreign medicine. Well red water healed more than just injuries. It was great for bacterial and viral infections as well. Fighting off fatigue, Link ran all the way back to Mido.

It was 4:00 in the morning when Link arrived but every minute counted. If the girl was as sick as her mother indicated she was, there was no time to lose. Link ran up to the house she had come out of and pounded on the door. He wasn't sure if at that hour of the night anyone would open for him. To his amazement, Marcellus opened the door.

"What are you doing here?"

Link and Marcellus had to overlook the irony that they had both asked each other the same question at the exact same moment.

"I thought you were a relative or friend of the family when I heard the knock," said Marcellus. "I didn't know you knew these people. We had planned to hold a prayer vigil throughout the night until the girl passed."

"What's wrong with her?" asked Link.

"She's had tuberculosis for years and in the past few weeks she's taken a turn for the worse," replied Marcellus. "I'm afraid the poor dear won't make it through the night."

"Like hell she won't!" scowled Link as he came in.

The girl's mother and some people who were doubtlessly friends or family sat around the fire looking as miserable as any creature could look. By the outfit of one, Link could tell he was the Oracle.

"What are you doing back here?" she asked in surprise. "I thought you said you couldn't help us." Link pulled the bottle of red water from his hip purse. The guests seemed confused as to what this was but the Oracle and the girl's mother seemed to recognize it at once. "The water of life! Quickly, come with me."

She led Link into the next room where a little girl of about nine lay unconscious. He face was pale, her eyes were red, and there was blood on her lips. Her breathing was greatly labored.

"She can't drink if she's unconscious," muttered the mother. She shook the girl, gently at first, but then far more firmly when she didn't wake up. With a weak moan the girl opened her eyes. Her mother whispered some gentle words into her ear and with that the girl drank the red water. Instantly she completely recovered from the disease which had afflicted her for so long and the damage it had done to her frail body was reversed. She gave a sweet half-smile and went back to sleep.

"Thank God," muttered Marcellus. "There truly was a miracle here today. What on earth is that stuff?"

The girl's mother was too choked up to answer. She turned to thank Link only to find that in his exhaustion he had fallen asleep in the corner. "Excuse me, I need to get some air," was all the girl's mother could get out. She left the house and the guests all followed her. All but one.

The Oracle was no guest. He was the brother of the woman and the child's uncle. He had lived there since the death of the girl's father. He studied Link who slept in the corner. The crest on his hand made it obvious who he was but it was Link's facial features that intrigued him. He correctly guessed that Link had some fairy blood in him. "Figures," he muttered to himself with a smile. "He's every bit like them, generous and eager to heal others."

Have you ever woken up in an unfamiliar place before? It's a rather startling sensation, let me tell you. Link completely forgot where he was for a few moments. He vaguely remembered the events of the night before. The girl and her mother were gone anyway. Wait, hadn't he seen an Oracle here? He cautiously crept down to the basement. Sure enough he was down there. Were all these guys a bunch of weird shut-ins that lived in someone's basement?

"I have a very ironic spell for you, traveler," said the Oracle.

"You're not going to turn me into a chicken with two butts or something, are you?" asked Link.

"Don't give me any bad ideas," replied the Oracles "This magic word will give you power. AGRA!" The room flashed. "Go on, try it boy!"

"Why do I not trust you?" groaned Link. "Ironic spell, huh? Alright, here it goes. AGRA!"

Link would have preferred the two-assed chicken if he knew what was about to transpire. The spell turned him into a fairy.

"What did you do to me you crazy senile old fart!" screamed Link at the top of his lungs.

"You'll have to speak up," said the Oracle with a laugh. "At your size your voice is barely audible. Don't worry. The spell is temporary. If you fly more than a few hundred feet of the place where the spell was cast it wears off. Do you know why I did this?"

"A truly sadistic and immature sense of humor is my best guess," replied Link angrily. "I look ridiculous!"

"Some of your ancestors were obviously fairies," said the Oracle. "You also brought healing to this house last night. It seemed appropriate."

"Appropriate!" yelled Link. "I look like the star attraction at a drag queen convention!"

"Yes," replied the Oracle. "But in this state you can fly and you make a rather hard to hit target. It will make things very difficult for your enemies."

"Sure it will," replied Link. "They'll be laughing at me too hard to fight. I can't fight in this form."

"I don't know," said the Oracle. "Maybe if you hit them with your wand hard enough…" he broke up laughing and couldn't continue. Link rolled his eyes and flew right out of the basement.

"Oof!"

Link had forgotten that he would transform back into an elf if he got too far from the point of the casting of the spell. He fell out of the air and flat on his face. By the chuckling coming from the basement he could tell the old codger knew just what had made the impact. He left quickly in a foul mood.

Link hadn't forgotten that he was supposed to talk to Error about the palace. He groaned when he thought about all the time he'd waste getting there. This had better be important. He still hadn't set foot inside Midoro Palace.

Hours later he walked out of Ruto wondering if the trip had been worth it. The message Error had had given him was indeed crucial. "South of King's Tomb in Mido is a tunnel." Important stuff. With a little further explanation he figured out that he couldn't get to the Island Palace without this little tidbit. But it had wasted far more than just time to get this information. Link had walked in on Error at the worst possible time. He and his buddies were in a bar getting loaded. Link didn't have a lot of money but he had to give up nearly ever rupee he had because Error kept insisting he buy drinks for his table.

Link had a good drink of water out of a well but now he was starving. He knew he'd probably have to sleep under the stars again. He was broke. His feet hurt from walking. About the only good thing that happened that night was when he found some tomatoes growing nearby the side of the path.

The next day he made his approach to Midoro Palace. The trek through the swamp took nearly an hour. He was hot, sweaty and dirty. He vowed to take his anger out on whatever dwelled within the palace.

End Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

PALACE 2

Link had never seen an odder palace in his life. It was a light blue in color and seemed to be made from small tablets of ceramic. Link was relieved to see another one on those glowing slots on the chest of the Ironknuckle statue outside. He had used up some magic going through the swamp and he really could use a red jar. With his powers renewed he pressed his crest against the door and entered the elevator.

If Link thought the outside of the palace was odd, it was nothing compared to the inside. From the elevator he observed drops of a red liquid run down two pillars. After several drops fell, blue drops came down and became Bots. Not only that but it seemed the Ropes here had learned a new trick. They spit rocks at him. He hadn't been prepared for that and wound up with a fat lip.

Unsure of where to go, Link took the elevator down as far as it would go. Well Link had almost forgotten what it was like to enter a room only to have statues shooting beams at him out of their mouths. It was a rather unpleasant wake up call. Well at least this one had a limited range and the only other enemy in the room was a pack of Bots.

As soon as he entered the next room he spotted platforms and two Trolls. He decided to give the downward thrust another try. What an amazing gift Marcellus had given him! Enemy after enemy had fallen thanks to this new technique. If only he had met Marcellus during his original quest. Grabbing a key off the shelf, Link headed back up the elevator shaft.

The downward thrust became essential once more as Link faced some more of those new and improved Ropes on the next floor up. If he had bent down to stab at them it would have left his face exposed and these things jumped before they spit rocks. The Ropes weren't the only new and improved enemy. Link knew by now that if an enemy had a bluish hue to it, it was stronger but he wasn't prepared for the two Stalfos in the next room. The thrust didn't work on them (they had shields) and when he went for the legs he was in for a real shocker: THEY COULD DO THE THRUST! They were still weak enough so that he wasn't hurt seriously but it seemed so unfair. He just had to go for the legs as fast as possible, that's all. Any lack of haste and they would jump again. Picking up another key and hitting another dead end, Link headed back for the elevator. The repetitive nature of these palaces was getting on his nerves.

By process of elimination the next path had to be one floor up. One more Blue Stalfos was all too eager to greet him and he once again observed those strange pillars that dripped a blood-like substance that turned into a Bot once it was dark enough. Link wondered if Elezaar had put that in or if it was naturally occurring.

When Link reached the next room his appreciation for the downward thrust was reinforced once again. First the room seemed empty. But when Link had walked in far enough a monster suddenly materialized right out of the floor. It was a Demon Head, just like the one that had been shooting at him from the wall but this one was free-floating and could dematerialize itself through the floor only to pop up again unexpectedly a moment later. Hitting it with his sword only stunned it for a moment and when it recovered it hit him harder than a linebacker.

At this point Link discovered a little secret about the downward thrust. If he was completely still when he jumped up to use it, he could repeatedly bounce up and down on top on an enemy, blade first. It was the only practical way to kill the Demon Heads. Of course he absolutely had to be stationary. If he had been moving when he jumped he'd bounce right off these things and fall. He was starting to develop a strategy for this technique.

It appeared that perhaps a trend was starting here. More lava. Yup, obvious magic. These palaces certainly hadn't been built over cracks in the earth. Elezaar must have had a lot of faith in the abilities of whoever was to be the "Chosen One". At this point Link wondered why he couldn't have chosen else. His desire for adventure had long since been drained. Well at least this pit didn't have a bridge that would disappear. What it did have were two drains in the ceiling that leaked that red stuff and some Bots. Link had the nasty feeling that that red stuff wasn't safe and he'd better avoid it. He had to time one of his jumps carefully so as not to be hit by it and possibly knocked into the lava again.

Link found out once again that the downward thrust didn't work on all enemies when he entered the next room. An Ironknuckle was there waiting for him. The thrust failed. Duh, it had a shield too. Thankfully he hadn't been stationary when he tried it so he merely bounced off instead of landing right on top of it or bouncing indefinitely. He had to use the old "jump and stab it in the head" technique. Another Ironknuckle was waiting for him a few feet away but this time he had to back off a little. A Skull Ball was bouncing around making it difficult to fight. Before too long it passed and the Ironknuckle was dog meat.

Another long corridor guarded by two Skull Balls lead to another elevator. He couldn't dodge them so he bounced over them with the thrust. He had a feeling a stationary thrust would have killed one but the other would hit him if he tried it. Besides, it was too time-consuming. He ran into the elevator and descended.

His first thought had been to go to the bottom floor but that instinct of his kicked in again and he took the higher of the two paths. Good thing he had been collecting keys because there was another gate and an agile Stalfos in front of it. It jumped over Link and tried using the thrust on him too but he got out of the way in time and attacked the legs. Sadly, he had turned his back on a Rope behind him. No sooner had he slain the Stalfos than he felt fangs in his back. Yelling a few naughty words I wouldn't dare repeat here, he angrily turned on the Rope and gored it.

In the next room he was thrilled to see a P-Bag laying there just waiting for him to…

WHAM!

"What the hell was that!" screamed Link out loud. He had been scared out of his wits by the sudden thud. He looked up and to his horror, the large stones that made up the ceiling were falling. He had to run and leap about this way and that to avoid being squashed. Forget the P-Bag! This was life and death here!

Badly shaken, Link reached the next room unhurt but badly frightened. One look told him it was a treasure room. He remembered a time when these things were only guarded by Keeses. Now he was face to face with an Ironknuckle and this one was red. Normally red indicated a weaker enemy but Link had noticed thus far that a third color, orange, often signified the weak enemies, not all of whom were that weak. But he had also seen Blue. Perhaps red was an intermediate color.

This Ironknuckle was faster and slightly more aggressive than its orange counterparts. What made it irritating was that it just wouldn't die even after he stabbed it several times. It retreated behind the gate and seemed to dare Link to approach. It took him a second to unlock gates and in that time it could easily stab him. But Link knew he could lure it out by running away. Sure enough it worked. The Ironknuckle followed him out and he finished it off.

At that moment, Link made a rather upsetting discovery. He must have dropped a key at some point. After all that he couldn't open the gate to get the treasure. He tried to squeeze between the iron bars but they were just too narrow. If only he were smaller. Smaller… Hmmm...

"AGRA!"

At once Link turned into a fairy. He felt humiliated because even male fairies looked rather effeminate. He sailed between the bars and found a golden gauntlet. So that's what that fat lady had been talking about! But it was too huge to carry, right? To his surprise it was light as a feather. Well it couldn't offer much protection if it was that light, right? He flew out through the bars again. There was an Ironknuckle statue on the shelf with one of those glowing slots in its chest. Maybe if he got back to his regular self he could get a red jar. The fairy spell had wiped out a lot of his magic. As soon as he exited the room he was in his old form again. He stepped back in but he didn't have enough magic to make the jump. Link noticed though that the drain on the ceiling had created a lot of Bots. He ran over and stabbed a few. The third one dropped a blue jar.

"AGDA!"

Link ran over and jumped up on the shelf, stuck his sword in the slot, and bingo, there was the red jar. A wild thought occurred to him. He took a swig and as he felt his energy return…

"ADAK!"

His wounds healed and oddly enough, his magic continued to replenish although it didn't end up being restored quite completely.

Link prepared himself for another game of dodge the rocks but they had fallen too quickly. A massive wall of rock was now between him and the exit. Link had nearly forgotten about the gauntlet but that little voice in his head told him to put it on his sword hand.

"Whoah!"

It disappeared the moment he put it on. But it had done something. His hand felt stronger. Much stronger. He punched a rock and hard as he could.

"Ow! Dammit!"

What had he done wrong? He had… Oh, duh! The sword. How stupid could he be? He picked his sword up off the floor and stabbed at the rocks, reducing them to dust.

Well after that little exeprience he was back in the elevator a few minutes and a few monsters later. As he headed to the bottom floor he heard a very odd sound. It was very high pitched and sounded like a whine or beep of some sort. What was it? He was about to get an answer to that one. No sooner had he reached the ground than he saw his first Moa. Now ghostly monsters had always bugged Link. Ghinis and Peahats had given him a ghastly amount of trouble on his first quest. But there was something very frightening about this one eyed ghoul that really freaked him out. It was just out of the range of his sword. Well if it stayed above him, maybe it couldn't hurt him. Wrong. It began to rain fireballs down on him. As if that wasn't bad enough, an Ironknuckle approached and since the magic fire didn't disappear right away, his mobility was limited. Until the fireballs faded, he had to make good use of his shield since he didn't have enough room to attack properly. No sooner had he slain the Ironknuckle and proceeded than the same thing happened again. The Moa rained more fire and another Ironknuckle approached.

Link was all too happy to put that room behind him. That was until he entered the next room. A Blue Stalfos attacked him and once again he had no room to fight properly because a demon statue on one side of the room and a wolf statue on the other started fired beams at him. This was getting irritating. He managed to slay the Stalfos, but could he get past the beams without getting hit? He had to jump at just the right moment and had to be quite clever with his shield. The rock barrier in front of him made him glad he had gone after the glove first before going down here. He had to deal with one more wall, one more Stalfos, and two more sets of statues before he could leave the room.

Something told him to avoid the elevator in the next room for the moment. It wasn't instinct, it was experience. He was sure that if he went straight on he would find another key. Sure enough, down the hall another key was being guarded by another Troll. After that experience in the treasury, he wasn't about to take any chances on missing another key. Hmm… More Goatheads. Interesting. Oh well.

The elevator led him to a room with a Bot and a Troll and more bricks. Nothing interesting there. It may interest YOU the reader to know that a red jar lay concealed within the bricks but it was of no consequence to Link who didn't know about it and didn't need it. The following room was a bit more interesting because it had a lava pit and more of those stones that disappear when you walk on them. There were three layers of these and a P-Bag sat on the bottom layer. Now surely this was there to lure someone into doing something stupid. If you went after it you put yourself at risk. But Link figured out a way to get it safely. He walked to the right and then to the left to eliminate the first two layers. He grabbed it quickly upon reaching the third and ran. Failure to eliminate the top two would have put an obstacle above him making it impossible to jump and likely killing him.

The hallway that followed contained two Goatheads and yet another one of those Red Ironknuckles. The next room had a Blue Stalfos and two Ironknuckles. All these tough enemies in one spot could only mean one thing. The guardian must be nearby. After Link's encounter with Horsehead this was not a comforting thought. Down the hall he walked in only to see the familiar sight of draperies on the ceiling. Standing in front of him was none other than Helmethead.

Helmethead was a wee bit shorter than Horsehead, but not by much. It wore blue armor and carried a large sword and shield. So that was it. Link was to face a fellow swordsman. He wondered how good it was with its shield. As Link approached, two red eyes flashed from within the darkness of its helmet. It was awake, the force fields were up and the battle was on.

Link readied himself for the monster to attack him with its sword. He was completely caught off guard by its attack. Helmethead fired a beam at Link from its head. This Link blocked with his shield. After another couple of steps another beam was fired and blocked as well. Link ran up and sliced at its legs. Though Helmethead backed up a few steps, it showed no indication of being hurt. Maybe the head… But would it block him with the shield and stab him? Only one way to find out. Link jumped up and stabbed at the head. It flew right off!

For a moment Link thought that he had won the fight with one blow. But then to his shock another head with a different style of helmet emerged and the one he had just removed flew up into the air! Of course. Never could have been that easy. Nope, never in a million years. Both heads fired at him at once and he blocked both with difficulty. Link had an idea. If the creature couldn't use its sword, then the shield was possibly useless as well. Perhaps Helmethead wasn't protected from the thrust. Link was right. He tried it and the second head flew off.

The third head that emerged was not a pretty sight. It was Helmethead's real head. It was hideous! Its face was pure white and it was bald. The ears were pointy like an elf's but way longer. Its face had sort of a snake-like quality. It bore an evil grin but its eyes didn't seem focused on Link or anything else in particular. That made sense since it was as mindless as Horsehead. Link had to wonder what Elezaar was smoking when he concocted this monstrosity.

Link had to move quickly. He now had three heads firing at him. He kept hoping and praying that he was correct in believing that Helmethead's sword was useless. He was right. He jumped up and stabbed it in the head three more times. Success!

Helmethead self-destructed in a brilliant display of light. The key fell from the ceiling and the force fields disappeared. Link opened the gate and stepped before the second statue. He placed the crystal in the mouth and once again it traveled to the forehead. His health and magic were restored and his strength increased once more. He stepped outside and breathed the air again (if you can call swamp air fresh). He felt so…

Something was wrong! He didn't know what but something was horribly wrong. It was as if Zelda was screaming out to him in terror. What was it? He raced back to the North Palace like a bat out of hell not stopping even once.

End Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Link ran all day and night. The dread was terrible but not knowing was far worse. He took every shortcut he could think of. He didn't even try to stay on the path. Any enemy stupid enough to mess with him found itself ripped into little pieces in less than a second. He sprinted across the bridge over the lake and into the North Palace.

The door to the basement was open. Oh, this was bad. What he found in the candle-lit room nearly made his heart stop. Impa was sprawled over on the ground, bruised and bloodied. To Link's horror and furry he saw the letters HLG carved into her forehead. She was semi-conscious and struggling to breath. She seemed to be a little more with-it when Link picked her up off the ground but he could tell she was in terrible shape. She had been beaten ruthlessly and without a speck of mercy and had several stab wounds to the abdomen. Such a tough old bird this woman was! At her age she was still clinging to life after an attack that would have killed a man in the flower of his youth.

"Link…. I can't see… is that you?" Tears streamed down her face. "I wanted you to be here, I wanted…"

"DON'T TALK!" screamed Link. "What happened?"

"You just told me…not to talk, you moron," whispered Impa with a grin. "They came. The Cult. Villagers from Saria. They wanted to mutilate Zelda. There is…no feeling, no part…of you that they won't exploit. They want to hurt you so bad. You would have been proud of me. I put a force field over Zelda so they couldn't touch her and wouldn't take it off no matter what they did to me. I wanted to…hold on until you got here. But the pain… oh heavens, the pain is so bad… you have to let me go now. I wish I had something profound to say…I wish…ungh…kill me…"

"WHAT! No!"

"Oh please Link, I'm suffering so horribly," moaned Impa weakly. "And I want to go by the hand of someone I love. I can't bear the thought of those bastards ending my life. Please. Oh please do this poor suffering old woman one last favor, I beg of you…"

Impa coughed up some blood and couldn't talk anymore but her whole body was shook by sobs. Link couldn't hold in the tears either. He placed her gently on the floor. He picked up his sword.

"I love you granny," he whispered. "I'm so sorry this is all I can do for you."

"DON'T DO IT!"

What was that? Link had heard the voice as plain as day. But where had it come from? Just then Link had a terrible thought. He ran up to the altar. To his shock, tears ran down Zelda's face as well.

Link had to make a decision right there and then. He knew it had been Zelda who had spoken through his heart. She didn't want him to do it. That was clear. But then she wasn't the one on the floor in agony either. But could he…

No! He couldn't! He'd never be able to sleep again. He picked up Impa and ran faster than he had ever run in his entire life; faster than he could have run without the 104 pound burden in his arms. He was racing towards the healer's house in Rauru as fast as he possibly could. He had left his sword in the palace and didn't dare waste time by taking the path but it didn't matter. No monster in the world could have caught up to him.

"What are you doing you numbskull?" asked Impa weakly. Link didn't answer. He didn't have enough wind in him to talk and run this fast. Impa grinned. "She stopped you didn't she?" Impa sighed. "It's OK. I can't feel anything now. I'm not suffering…"

"Impa?"

No answer.

"Impa?"

Nothing.

"IMPA!"

Link stopped and set her down. "DON'T DO THIS TO ME YOU OLD FART!" he screamed. She was unconscious and barely breathing. "WE'RE LESS THAN A MILE AWAY! NO! DAMMIT, NO!"

Link got no response. In a sudden rage he screamed so loud that the people in Rauru a mile away actually heard him. He was filled with a rage, a wild, dark, angry sadistic hate the likes of which he'd never even come close to feeling before in his wildest dreams. "They'll pay!" he snarled. He would go to Saria now. He would make them suffer more than they had ever imagined possible. He would annihilate every last man woman and child in that entire town. Kill! Kill! KILL! He laughed evily. He laughed…. Laughed?

How could he possibly laugh at a time like this? He came to his senses. What had become of him? Was this the hero of Hyrule? Was this the man who had been loved only to let his love turn to mind numbing hatred? He fell to the ground and wept uncontrollably. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry Zelda. I'm not like that! God? God can you hear me? Oh God please forgive me! I'll do anything! I'm not like that, I swear!" He struggled to breathe.

"MARCELLUS! Oh Marcellus, that God you believed in, let Him be real, oh please…" He was too weak to keep crying. Without a single sword or spear his very life had almost been lost and the thought was unbearable.

As he lie there face first on the ground he felt delicate fingers slowly and gently stroke his hair. He was shocked but not half so shocked as he was when he sat up and saw it was Impa who had done it. She was fully healed and smiling.

"How… how did you?"

Impa smiled and pointed up. Link saw a small fairy hovering above them both.

"Oh… oh Impa… I… almost…."

He started crying again and Impa dropped to her knees and hugged him. She sighed. "You really are a numbskull, you know that?" she whispered gently. "But I love you more than all the world."

There are moments in life words can't describe. They wouldn't do these moments justice anyway. Too many things to feel at once and far too intense, these feelings, well it happens sometimes. The two walked the last mile to Raruru where they checked into an inn and Link fell asleep and didn't wake up for two days. His dreams had never been more intense or more real than they were now.

Impa watched him slumber. She knew exactly what had happened. Forget Ganon, Link had fought the biggest battle of his life out there in the wilderness without picking up a weapon and he had won.

Not long after waking up, Link got sick. He had a bad case of the flu and couldn't leave his bed for days. While the women in Rauru tended to his every need, neglecting even their own families sometimes, Impa took the long road back to the North Palace accompanied by two knights. She retrieved the Magic Sword and expanded the force field over the entire palace. Only she and Link could enter now.

By the time she returned Link was feeling better but not good enough to get out of bed. He was very quiet. In Impa's mind he had won a great victory but in his own mind he was garbage.

"I want to apologize to you Link," said Impa. "I put you in a bad position. I never, ever in a million years should have asked you to take my life. It wasn't my time to die and I should never put that on you. Thank God you didn't do it."

Link didn't answer.

"I am such a hypocrite," she continued. "I used to say mercy killing was a bad thing but when it was me well… I'm just not so strong as I thought."

Still no answer.

"Come on Link, say something. Tell me what a senile old hag I am. Go on. I love it when you make fun of me."

"I think I'm gonna die," said Link at last.

"You're not THAT sick," smirked Impa.

"Yes I am," he insisted. "Sick in my mind, sick in my soul if it's still there. I actually felt what it was like to be pure evil. And you know what? I liked it. I LOVED IT! I got such pleasure at the idea of turning Saria into a giant graveyard, of torturing the innocent to make the guilyt suffer… I'm dead inside."

"Oh bullcrap," said Impa. She pinched him.

"Ow! What did you do that for you hag?"

"If you were really dead you wouldn't have felt that," she replied. "You shouldn't be surprised that evil is so tempting. Look at me. Out there in that field I abandoned the principles I've believed in all my life. But I can do better tomorrow. Did you think you were such hot stuff that you would never be overwhelmed by the vice within you? Talk about vanity!"

"Impa, I'm scared," said Link.

"It's OK to be scared," said Impa. "But you have to let your fears teach you how to protect yourself and how to overcome problems. It's when they paralyze you that they become a problem. You're being forced to mature at a rate that would take a normal person years. I mean you're the size and strength of a full grown man but you're only sixteen. Sixteen years old! Heck, you're still a baby! I wouldn't expect you to feel fine now. But you'll overcome before all is said and done. I know it."

"Why, because I'm the Chosen One?" asked Link with a grin.

"No, because I'll kick your ass if you don't," replied Impa. "Now shut up and get some rest."

"Yes, granny."

Link set out again three days later. He tried to fight off any feelings of fear or shame about what had happened. These emotions are tools of evil used to drag someone down and give up the fight. He couldn't let that happen now.

He reached the path above the graveyard. He wanted to go find Marcellus and tell him everything but he felt like he had to go now. He was scared to continue but to postpone this any further would be dangerous to the quest. He left the path and walked south to the graveyard. It was a bone chilling place. It, like Saria, had an aura of evil around it.

Link heard that high pitched noise again. A swarm of Moas attacked him. It was a difficult battle. Their movement was swift and hard to combat. Worse yet every time he moved they matched his movements perfectly. They moved almost as if the were actually…

That was it! He knew what they were! These Moas were the ghosts of Zolas! It made sense now. They moved like a school of piranhas, the orange ones gave off fireballs, and they smelled like fish. Link wished he possessed the upward thrust at this point. He moved as little as possible and let them come to him. If they got out of range he would walk a little. He could actually control them to some extent. He also battled a couple Red Darias but with the downward thrust they proved to be no challenge.

Link reached the center of the graveyard where he saw the largest and most elaborate of all the tombs. The monsters seemed afraid to go near it. An old woman was threshing the grass in front of it.

"What is this?" asked Link.

"Don't you know?" replied the old woman. "This is king's tomb."

Link looked at the headstone. So this was where Elezaar was buried.

"Are you alright out here?" asked Link. "I don't mean to frighten you but you are in the center of a haunted graveyard with monsters surrounding this place on all sides."

"They won't come near this tomb," she replied. "In about an hour, Marcellus will come here to escort me back to town. They know better than to mess with him."

"I can well imagine," replied Link. "Well I'd love to stay and chat but I've got things to do, places to go, and demons to kill."

"God be with you," said the old woman.

"I'm sure He is," said Link more to himself than to anyone else. He walked straight south from Elezaar's tomb as he had been instructed.

Suddenly he fell through a hole in the ground. As he fell he could see Lowders on the ground below. He used the thrust and fell faster rather than slower and slew one. The Sting spell destroyed the rest.

"AGRA!"

The ledge above him was too high to jump so he had to use the Fairy spell. After all the fairies had done for him and for Impa he would have felt wrong to be embarrassed about becoming one momentarily. The other enemies he encountered consisted of Lowders, Myus, and one Goriya.

Up on the surface he couldn't see the Palace. He was on one side of an extinct volcano and it was on the other. He walked around the edge of the rock sure that any minute something would jump out at him. Indeed he could hear monsters nearby but nothing ever happened. Within minutes he was at the front entrance of the Island Palace.

End Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

PALACE 3

This next palace was a red brick. You may have seen reddish brown soil in our world but Hyrule had some soils that were actually red. The Ironknuckle statue had another one of those slots. Good, that fairy spell had taken a lot out of Link. Boy was he in for an unpleasant surprise. No sooner had he stabbed in than a Red Ironknuckle appeared instead of a red jar. Link was startled but fought it off and killed it. As luck would have it, the Ironknuckle left a red jar behind when it died. Maybe it wasn't that much of a gamble. Link told himself he'd have to be careful from now on and proceeded to the elevator.

It was down there that Link faced his first Doomknocker. Fortunately he had already been warned about these things. He knew their hammers couldn't be blocked and that they had a boomerang effect. At least this creature didn't have a shield. What it did have was a lot of endurance and since it didn't move a lot, a stationary thrust was out of the question. Link had to jump around like a frog to beat the freakish demon and had quite a few close calls. Ever had a forty pound hammer come within a hair width of your temple?

No sooner was the Doomknocker dead than Link had another first encounter. This time it was a Blue Stalfos Knight. It was far more aggressive than a regular Stalfos and a better jumper too. Luckily, it could also be lured quite easily and that was how Link beat it. He made it fight on his terms.

The next room was a real pain in the ass. Not that it was dangerous, but it was irritating. The floor was almost entirely made out of those rocks that could be destroyed with the glove but there were Myus and Goatheads all over the place which meant every time he attacked he'd fall through the floor.

The next two rooms had their share of irritation and peril but little of interest to discuss. First he had to deal with a flame-throwing Moa and a ceiling that was collapsing then he had another room with a breakable floor. Through the cracks between the bricks he could actually see a key and a P-Bag but he had to face a Doomknocker first. It sure didn't hurt having a chance to get some lower footing than the Doomknocker. Stupid thing couldn't seem to throw downwards.

More breakable rocks awaited him further on but not in the form of flooring but as platforms. He had to be careful. He could tell what would happen if he broke through. He could see Red Ironknuckles between the cracks. This was to be challenging since there were also a couple Myus in the room. He had to pull up immediately after thrusting. This gave him less than a fraction of a second to react.

Beyond the platforms was an elevator but the hall went onwards. Link's instinct told him to take the hall first. To his amazement, the hall led outside into a courtyard. This was a first for certain. In this yard he was accosted by a Moa and a Red Ironknuckle. There was a key waiting for him by the outer wall.

Now it was time to take that elevator. Link wasted no time slaughtering the Red Stalfos Knight and heading down. There I can honestly say that he met the most annoying enemy ever: free floating Wolf's Heads. These things bobbed up and down firing beams at him. Didn't I say that enemies that attacked in a pattern were trouble? And these things liked to attack in large groups too. Killing a few (and I do mean only a few), he headed east.

Leaping over several lava pits, he came upon another Red Ironknuckle with almost no room to fight it. He grabbed a key nearby, bounced over its head with the thrust and finished it off with the extra space he had gained.

The treasury was up next and it was no surprise that he had to face a Red Ironknuckle. What was surprising was that a Blue Ironknuckle stood in front of the gate. Link had never seen one before. He had assumed it was like the others only more able to take a beating. He couldn't have been more wrong. As soon as he approached he made a terrible discovery. It could use the Sting spell! Immediately he backed off. A magical creation that could create magic. Hmmm, interesting…

"AFE!"

Link applied the Shield spell. Not knowing what else to do he ran up and attacked as fast as possible. The Ironknuckle went down in a few strokes but Link got cut up pretty good in the process. Oh well, nothing life-threatening. At a certain point one's expectations drop and you settle for less. The raft that was waiting for him behind the gate made up for it. Or did it? Man, he was certainly bleeding pretty good.

Heading all the way back west, Link found the next elevator that he had not already taken. The room that lay beyond was guarded at its entry by an Ironknuckle. He could handle that. What he wasn't willing to handle were the Wolf Heads in the next room. There were dozens of them. Sure the room had a key but it just wasn't worth the trouble. He took the elevator without bothering to get the key.

As soon as the elevator reached its destination, Link had to use the Fairy spell. A gate was obstructing his way and he was still totally unwilling to get that key. He carefully floated past a Red Stalfos Knight. A Doomknocker stood near the exit. He carefully and patiently waited for it to get out of his way. Yes, you heard me correctly. Link actually displayed some patience. In his shoes you would have done the same. Those Doomknockers were intimidating enough when he was at his full size but they looked enormous when he was only a couple inches tall.

The last room before the guardian's lair was a challenge to say the least. There were multiple platforms with multiple Ironknuckles and no jumping room in between. The fact that Link's instincts had led him to the right one didn't completely solve the problem at hand. First of all, as I stated there was to be no jumping. Second of all, if he had pulled west to get some jumping room the Blue Ironknuckle nearby would have cut him to ribbons. He had to approach his Ironknuckle in an aggressive manner getting it to back down a little. He tried to bob up and down as fast as possible to fake it out but it was no good. He had to bash his head against the ceiling jumping just one inch to throw it off enough to get an opening. It dropped a red jar when he finally managed to kill it. He healed himself and refilled most of his magic at once. Time for the guardian.

At first Link thought there had been some sort of mistake. He entered the lair but found no guardian. And yet the force fields were up. What gives? It was just then that he heard a ghastly horse's neigh.

"What the hell was that?"

If only I had a dime for every time Link uttered that phrase. Well he certainly had enough unpleasant surprises to keep him startled for a while.

Out of nowhere, a Blue Ironknuckle that was holding a lance and riding a ghost horse came charging at him full fury. Quite sensibly, Link jumped up and used the downward thrust on the horse instead of the rider. There was no chance to hit the Ironknuckle while it was mounted and so armed.

The strategy worked well. The Mounted Ironcknuckle turned around and almost seemed to glare angrily at Link. That was odd, these guardians had never seemed to display emotion before.

It came at him with another pass and once again Link thrusted with the same result. Hey, this was easy! It turned around again and just stared him down for several seconds. Then it came for one more pass, much faster this time. One more thrust and the Ironknuckle was dismounted. The horse ran away from its rider. Link never had a chance to mistakenly believe he had won. The Ironknuckle picked itself up at once and attacked.

"AFE!"

Link applied his Shield spell and viciously counter-attacked. Did I say this was easy? This thing was much tougher than a typical Ironknuckle. It was savage, it possessed amazing endurance and it could retreat behind the force fields. Luring it out far enough to attack was difficult as well. This thing had strategy.

Yes, it was defeated like the others but at a bad cost to Link's health. This time he had been more than merely cut up. One blade beam had cut right through his lower abdomen and exited through his back. He grabbed his bleeding gut first and the key second and raced over to the statue. He impatiently waited and as soon as the crystal got to its place he was healed. With a raft in hand it was time to leave the mainland and set out for Eastern Island.

Little did he know the devastating price he was about to pay in order to continue his mission. Evil strikes deep…

End Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

There was nothing left on the mainland. After a good night's rest it was time to head towards Eastern Island. Link had been warned that the demonic presence was twice as strong there. It was the very seat of power for the Holy Legion of Ganon. When he had returned to Mido, Marcellus had offered to send an entire platoon of soldiers with Link. But no. This was something he had to do himself. So he headed for the dock.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Link turned to see Impa behind him. "Have you forgotten already?" asked Link with a grin. "I've got a quest to finish. Man you really are senile."

"Nice raft," said Impa.

"Yeah," replied Link. "And that's something else I've got a problem with. I HAD a raft already but you didn't let me take it. And I HAD a candle but…"

"Oh shut up," replied Impa. "Like I know every damn thing that you'll run into. Why didn't you just buy a raft here in Mido?"

"I'm broke," replied Link angrily. "Damn Error and his bar tab. You'd think they'd give me one for free but no. Hey, what's this?"

A large group of armed men was leaving Mido. They were being led by Marcellus.

"What's all this?" asked Impa.

"It's begun," replied Marcellus. "The Cult of Ganon has attacked Ruto!"

"Impa, are you sure that force field of yours over the North Palace will hold up?" asked Link.

"Of course I'm sure," she replied.

"Just like you were sure I wouldn't need to take anything with me?"

"Oh shut up!"

"Marcellus, I'll come with you!" said Link. "I owe you that much."

"No," replied Marcellus. "Winning the war is more important than winning the battle. This can't be stopped by mere force of arms now. The Triforce must be recovered and if possible the Cult Leader must be slain. Go! That's all you owe me. God be with you."

"Same to you," replied Link. "Good luck."

"Link, I'm coming with you," said Impa. "It's not safe anywhere right now. I don't know what help I can offer you but whatever I can do I will."

"Hope you can paddle," replied Link.

The two launched the raft and crossed the sea. It was odd not to see any Zolas out here. The waters were calm and the breeze was light. But as they came closer to the island the waters kicked up. The evil that he had felt in Saria was all over this place. A cold wind was kicking up.

"You holding up OK there granny?"

"Better than you, I bet," growled Impa. It was clear the paddling was taking a toll on her. The water itself seemed to resist their paddle strokes. Oddly enough, Link could see his reflection as clear as day. Hey, what the…

"Hey Link! Do I have to do all the work here? Why aren't you paddling?"

This wasn't just paranoia. The image in the water wasn't his… was it? Something was horribly wrong here!

"Link! Wake up!"

The reflection grinned evilly and suddenly a pair of hands shot out of the water and pulled him in. Link struggled like a mad man. He couldn't hear, he couldn't see, just total darkness. Then just as suddenly as it had begun, he was alone in the water. Whatever it was had gone.

Link emerged from the water coughing and breathing hard. "What happened?" yelled Impa.

Link swam up to the raft. "I don't know," he replied. "I can't get back on. I'll tip the raft." He grabbed the edge of the raft. "Stop paddling, I'll get us the rest of the way there." He towed the raft the rest of the way to shore.

"Brrrrr…. Damn it's cold!" muttered Link as soon as he emerged from the water. "Lousy day for a swim."

Impa sighed. "AITE!"

The heat from her spell caused most of the water soaked into Link's clothes to evaporate. His outfit was steaming.

"Well that's one way to take care of things," grinned Link.

"I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that there's no path here," warned Impa. "Keep your eyes open. And you still haven't told me what happened back there."

"I'm as puzzled as you are."

"Why did you jump in the water?"

Link was stunned. "Jump in! Are you senile AND blind?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You telling me you didn't see that pair of hands come out of the water and pull me under?"

Impa was silent for a moment. "Are you feeling OK?"

"Why?"

"I'm telling you Link, I had a perfect view and there were no hands. You jumped in."

Link was silent. He wondered if he had finally lost it. But he couldn't dwell on it long. In a matter of moments they were attacked. This time it was a pair of Tektiles.

"Hey granny, wanna see what I can do now?"

Link jumped up and flew down faster than lightning in a downward thrust. To his horror he bounced right off of it. "What the…" This was a Tektile! These things were supposed to be wimps. The evil had made it strong now.

"Very impressive bonehead," replied Impa. "Do something!"

Link turned around. Just as he did something else unexpected happened. The Tektile opened its mouth and fired a beam at him. Link blocked it with his shield and then attempted to stab its face which was not protected by a shell. No dice. "What do I do now?" he yelled out loud. He turned to see Impa running for it. "Good idea." The two of them ran all the way to the nearest town with monsters hot on their heels.

They nearly collapsed from exhaustion by the time they reached their destination. If Link had hoped for any anonymity in Nabooru he was out of luck. No sooner had he entered the city streets than he was nearly mobbed by women begging him to save their country and their town. Impa practically had to beat them off with her stick (in fact I'm not entirely sure she didn't get in a couple good swings).

A fountain! Oh boy! They were both parched.

"I am thirsty."

Link and Impa turned to see a young woman standing outside her house a mere fifty feet from the fountain.

"What are you, some spoiled little princess or something?" growled Impa angrily. "Go get your own damn water!"

"I'll get it for you," said Link. The girl smiled and slinked back into her house.

"What was that?" asked Impa. "What, are you hot for her or something? If you're gonna fall for someone other than Zelda, at least fall for someone with an ounce of class. That lazy spoiled little…"

"Save it granny," said Link. "So far every good deed I've done has been repaid. But I'd have to agree with you on this one. It's obvious that girl has been using her good looks to get every little thing she wants from men for years now. Sadly, I'm guessing it works."

Link and Impa approached the well and drank to their hearts' content. Then link picked up a jug nearby and filled it with water. "You ought to let me take a leak in it first," said Impa with a grin.

"You can be a crass old lady when you want to, you know that Impa?" said Link with a chuckle.

"Well at least let me spit in it."

"No."

"Can I throw it in her face?"

"No."

The two of them came back to the house where the girl stood coolly waiting for them. Link handed her the water.

"Will there be anything else your highness?" asked Impa sarcastically. Link nudged her to keep quiet.

"You have water," said the girl as if she was somehow pleasantly surprised by the gift.

"Well duh," muttered Impa. Link nudged her again.

"Come to my house," said the girl.

"I smell an Oracle," said Link with a grin. "Come on granny."

"Can I push her down the stairs when we get inside?"

"No."

"'Cause you know there won't be witnesses."

"No."

"We can say it was an accident."

"No."

The two of them descended to the basement where the Oracle stood waiting for them. "You should have told my granddaughter to get her own damn water. She's a spoiled little brat."

"I told you so," muttered Impa.

"I certainly hope you have expanded your magical endurance," continued the Oracle. "You'll need it with the spell I'm about to give you. Hey wait a minute…" He stared at Impa. "Aren't you a member of the Chancellor's House of the Southern Royalty?"

"I see you are familiar with my family," said Impa. "Yes, for years we served as wizards and advisers for the monarchs of Hyrule. The head of our family always served as Chancellor, second in power in government."

"You never told me that," said Link.

"You never asked," replied Impa.

"So how come you got stuck being a nursemaid then?"

"The moment I saw that little girl all I wanted to do was to care for her," replied Impa with a sigh. "Let someone else get swept up in running a country. I had my priorities and I don't regret it."

"And now she's gone," said Link. "Gees, and I thought I was the only one who took it hard. It must have been twice as bad for you."

"It would have been hard no matter who she married, but to a loser like that, I nearly threw up. Well let's focus on the matter at hand. What can you do for us, Mr. Oracle?"

"Have you found the monsters on this island to be difficult?" asked the Oracle.

"Difficult? Try impossible," replied Link.

"Well if all else fails…"

"Use fire," said Link suddenly understanding the earlier message.

"This magic will make your sword shoot fire. ARSTA!"

"Will that work with my staff?" asked Impa. The Oracle shook his head. "Rats."

"Young man I would warn you about two things. The first is the River Devil. It is a gigantic creature that blocks the path to the southern half of this island. Both sword and flame are useless against it. I have no idea how to defeat it. The other is Darunia. The Cult is strong there. Trust no one. The people here were eager for you to save them. You will find the people of Darunia twice as eager to see you fail."

"Thank you for all your help sir," said Impa. "And if I were you I'd take a rod to that granddaughter of yours. Feel free to borrow mine."

"No, I'll just marry her off to the poorest, laziest guy in town."

The local chieftain was a young fellow who told Link of a magical pair of boots that could be used to walk on water and that they would be necessary later but could not tell him where they were or give any other useful advice. The people outside had a lot more to say.

"The River Devil eats those who are weak."

"See a man in Darunia before the islands."

"Jump in a hole in the palace if you go."

"You are persistent. Find heart over ocean." (another demon friend of Bagu)

"Gee I love vague advice, don't you Impa?" complained Link. "Listen, I'm going to Darunia right now. Stay here."

"Be careful," she replied. "And keep an eye on any activity in that town. I don't want those people attacking this place like they did Ruto. These people aren't half so well-armed and have no neighbors here to save them."

This time Link ignored a patch of forest in the distance. He couldn't waste time now looking for a P-Bag or an unnecessary fairy when things were going downhill so fast. But he did want to make sure that these Tektiles could be defeated. He left the path and waited. In no time two Tektiles attacked.

"ARSTA!"

Just willing it caused fireballs to erupt from his sword. The Tektiles seemed to have some endurance but after a few hits they were toast (pun intended). But what on earth was that strange demon that was approaching so fast? I looked somewhat like a Patra but much bigger. It was a Boon.

The Boon was not a strong enemy necessarily but it was agile. Link launched a flame at it. Whoa, it was more than agile. It could teleport! And it spit rocks out as it flew. Link must have missed it three or four times. He jumped up intending to launch another fireball at it but it unexpectedly appeared right in front of him. He stabbed it. So these things didn't require fire after all. Good to know.

Luckily for Link he did posses a map to this region. He had never visited this place before. He had grown up on a group of islands to the west of mainland Hyrule. He didn't feel at home on islands. Not one bit. His homeland had utterly rejected him.

There was no place to the east to launch a raft and they had already warned him not to mess with the River Devil to the south. That left the north. Darunia was up that way anyway. But he'd have to go through a cave first. Link hated the idea. He didn't know what sort of unpleasant surprises might be waiting for him up there.

What was waiting for him were three Achemen and a Basilisk. Now the Achemen were no challenge but the Basilisk was a different story. Like the Tektiles, this thing was invulnerable to stabs and required fire. It could fire beams of its own and could stand on its hind legs. Its pattern made offense difficult because Link had to concentrate on bobbing up and down at the same time as the Basilisk to block its beams. This thing too could take a great deal of damage before it died.

Link emerged from the cave into a grassy field surrounded by woods on all sides. He headed towards the northwestern part of the woods. A group of monsters similar in appearance to Moas attacked. They were Eyes. Link found that they couldn't be harmed when their eyelids were closed but at least they didn't close them often nor did they have the mobility of Moas. These were weak enemies.

The land was getting higher. Link found himself going farther and farther uphill all the time. The trees seemed shorter and the treetops weren't that far from the top of his head. He hiked further and further continually checking moss on the trees to keep his directions straight. The ground was getting rockier too. Pretty soon the woods ended and he was standing on a sandy mountain pass.

Another familiar foe decided to drop in at this point. Blue Leevers. Well all of these old monsters had shown up more powerful here. Maybe these were super intelligent or could fly or could shoot fire from their asses. But no. There was no improvement in them. If anything he was more easily able to take them on now that he had the downward thrust.

The trail continued to wind upwards with rock and sand as far as the eye could see. Pretty soon Link had to deal with more water pits which were fiercely guarded by Blue Octorocks. The first set of pits wasn't that bad. But the second, well he should have predicted that coming that close to a Cult stronghold there would be foul magic afoot. Indeed those nasty old bubbles were waiting for him. As if this wasn't irritating enough already.

At long last he reached Darunia. It was already late in the day but the sky was an evil shade of dark over this town. Link could smell the danger. He tightened his grip on his sword ready for mortal combat right here in the city streets. Good thing too.

"You must save Hyrule!"

"I'm not falling for it!" snapped Link. "I can smell the evil all over you."

The Cult member immediately transformed herself into an Ache and attacked. Bystanders ran in terror. Link slew her with one stroke. And then it happened.

"Did you come this far just to die?" Link turned to see the first Cult member he had encountered back in Parapa wrapped head to toe in rags. "Blasphemy and sacrilege will not be tolerated. Especially by those not even worthy to oppose us. I've been waiting a long time for this, boy." The Cult member drew a sword. The blade was surrounded by a blue flame. "Come embrace your death. I'll send you to hell by my own hand. Feel my hate."

"We aim to please," replied Link. The two rushed at each other. The Cult member was an excellent sword fighter whoever he was. He leapt over Link to avoid a lunge. He could also fire energy beams from his hand. Link blocked them then flew at him with all his speed. The Cult member could run backwards just as fast as he could run forwards.

"You're slow boy!" he sneered. "Perhaps this will slow you down some more." He chanted a spell under his breath. Immediately an extremely powerful blast of wind nearly knocked Link over. The Cult member took this opportunity to charge at him. Big mistake. Link sidestepped him and tripped him, knocking the blade from his hand. Immediately its flame was extinguished.

"You've pissed me off long enough," snarled Link. "I'm giving you a chance to live. Run. Run like the devil was chasing you and don't stop for even one moment and you will live. Don't and you will die right here."

"Oh that's so generous, you worthless beggar," mocked the Cult member in a tone that was both unpleasant and unpleasantly familiar. Link had heard this voice before, but where? "Run like the devil was chasing me? The devil wouldn't chase me. I know the devil too well. Good friend of mine. He is so eager to meet you face to face." The Cult member pulled off the rags covering his face.

"NO!"

"What's the matter Link? Surprised?"

"ZELDA!"

It was the same Zelda he had originally rescued from Ganon. The same Zelda who had been forced to marry that ass from the Western Islands. The same Zelda he had once loved.

"Zelda what happened to you?" cried Link in anguish.

"What happened to me? I stopped lying to myself. For the first time in my entire meaningless life I stopped lying to myself. I have to thank you Link. It never would have happened without you. You made me realize just how much my lot in life sucked."

"You want to worship Ganon?" asked Link in disbelief.

"I want to be on the winning side," she replied. "When this war is over and won I'll kill the Leader and then I'll rule this world. Why not? I'm royalty, aren't I? And the first person I'll eliminate is that crappy little brother of mine. I already took my first step in the right direction."

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Here's what I mean!" Zelda pulled out an article wrapped in cloth and tossed it over to Link. He cautiously opened it. It was her husband's head. "Don't tell me you're not a wee bit pleased to see that. The thought of that man intimate with me was enough to make you insane with jealousy wasn't it? Well he never got the chance! Aren't you just so glad?"

Link felt like throwing up. "Zelda, please listen, this isn't you…"

"The hell it isn't!" she interrupted. "I'll tell you what isn't me. Being weak. First I get kidnapped by some SOB like Ganon, and I find myself in the stupid damsel in distress role. Then some bloody IDIOT like you shows up and does what I should have had the strength to do myself. Oh it gets better. Then for the sake of diplomacy I end up marrying some hog I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. I turn him down the first couple of nights and… AND HE TRIES TO GET VIOLENT! " At this point Zelda couldn't stop herself from letting out a few angry sobs.

"He did WHAT?" Link was pissed now.

"THAT'S NOT YOUR DAMN CONCERN!" screamed Zelda at the top of her lungs. "I don't need you saving me! At that moment it all became so clear. After all this crap I'd been through and instead of living happily ever after here I was about to get raped. NO! I wanted you, not him. So I killed him. I did it for you. I DID IT FOR US! BUT THERE IS NO "US" ANYMORE, NOW IS THERE? Now I find out you've betrayed me. What's she like, this vegetable you've given your heart for?"

"Zelda…"

"NO! NO MORE! Admit it, you knew this day would come, didn't you?"

Link hesitated and finally he weakly nodded. "In my coma. I saw it in a dream playing out before me. I knew everything that was about to happen but in spite of everything I was powerless to stop it. I was just a bystander."

"Not a good feeling is it?" asked Zelda. "That's how I've felt for years. Never again. No. One of us is going to die today."

Link took a step back. "No. I won't kill you Zelda."

"Damn right you won't!"

She raised her hand and the sword flew back into it. She flew at Link with fire in her eyes.

"Zelda, no!"

Too late. She was too close. There was nothing else he could have done. Though the thought of letting her kill him tempted him for a moment, he knew the course of action needed to save Hyrule. His blade impaled her with a thud.

"UNGH…"

"ZELDA!"

Zelda fell to the ground. She looked scared. "What have I done?" she murmured. Link saw a crowd gathering.

"GET THE HEALER!" he screamed. To his horror not one of them moved. "ARE YOU DEAF? GET THE HEALER!" Oh no! They were smirking at him. They were all Cult members.

"He lied…" murmured Zelda. "He…lied… I'm so sorry…"

"Who? Who lied? Was it the Leader?"

Zelda weakly nodded.

"Who is he?"

But she could say no more. She died right there in the streets of Darunia. Link was nearly blinded with rage. He had no time to grieve. In the moment his attention was diverted ten Cult members with daggers attacked him all at once. The death they suffered was not a pretty one. Link was nearly mad with hate and cut them to bits. This wasn't like when demons die and merely disappear. These were elves.

"I WANT MORE!" he screamed. "COME OUT YOU BASTARDS, I KNOW THERE'S MORE OF YOU!"

No one came. That sickening feeling came to him again. The one when he'd almost lost Impa. The fear that he'd lose his very self in his grief. He knelt down next to Zelda and gently kissed her lips which were still warm and wept as he'd never wept before. He had the terrible feeling he was being watched but he didn't care. What a horrible journey this was that could bring him so many tears.

Link spent that night in the house of a sympathetic villager. He cried himself to sleep. Why her? Why couldn't those psychopaths have just left her out of it? He hadn't dreamed of just how far they would go. It was just staggering to see the sort of evil there was in the world.

Of course the villagers knew who she was. She had not been their princess but she was dear to all of them. They hadn't seen how it happened. Link lied to them. He told them she had been murdered by the Cult. He just couldn't tell them. He wasn't sure they'd believe him anyway and he might be arrested as a murderer. When asked what she was doing in Darunia in the first place he simply said he had no idea. The village mourned for her as if they had lost a daughter. Sympathetic citizens came to encourage Link in his quest and offer advice (what else is new?).

"The Palace has a false wall."

"The Devil does not like noise." Best piece of advice he'd had so far.

"A powerful knight lives in this town."

He'd almost forgotten that Marcellus had an old army buddy living here. But the boy who had told Link of his whereabouts also explained that he was somewhat of a recluse and wouldn't open his door for anyone. No problem. Link went through his chimney. He wouldn't take no for an answer.

"No!"

"I won't take that for an answer."

"You've got a lot of nerve, you know that kid," said the knight angrily. "Trespassing in other people's houses and then demanding favors from them."

"What are you doing?" replied Link. "Are you trying to hide from the world?"

"That's right," replied the knight.

"Who are you?"

"Lemus," answered the knight. "I'm sorry I'm not as helpful as Marcellus but I suppose he was the lucky one."

"What do you mean?" asked Link.

"He found God," replied Lemus. "He's got something to believe in. Something goes wrong in his life and it's all just part of some divine plan that will work out for the best in the end."

"But you don't believe that?" asked Link.

"How could I?" replied Lemus. "Kid, when you've seen all I've seen you could never believe there's a loving creator up there in the clouds who makes everything work out for the best. You live, life sucks, you die. That's all."

"OK, fine, you're an atheist," replied Link. "You're entitled to that. But that hardly explains why you won't help me."

"Because I'll have nothing to do with war anymore. I won't do anything to take sides or to aid or hurt either side. I don't want any part of it. War ruined my life. War killed all my friends. War tore this nation apart. I don't want anything to do with war, period."

"Too bad because war is coming whether you like it or not, exclamation point," replied Link.

"Doesn't mean I have to be part of it," replied Lemus.

"And when Ganon's troops invade this city? What then?"

"Let them kill me," said Lemus. "I don't care."

"LIAR!"

"You know, you're awfully bold for a trespasser, you know that?"

"Am I?" Link described to Lemus in detail everything he'd been through, how he lost Zelda and nearly lost Impa. "Don't you see what will happen? War is the lesser of two evils here."

Lemus sighed. "The lesser of two evils is still an evil."

"One that absolutely can't be avoided," replied Link. "Do this. Do this for the friends you couldn't save. There are men women and children out here that you can still save who are someone's friends."

Lemus stood up. "This is on your conscience then, not mine. Got it? I swore I'd never have anything to do with war again but I just can't keep it away. I'm sick of this world. I honestly don't mind dying. If it means so much to you then fine. But I'll never fight again."

He took Link's wrist and muttered some words under his breath. The room flashed. "OK, try it kid."

Immediately Link soared upwards much faster than anyone could jump and thrust his sword straight up with enormous force. "Thank you so much," said Link. "Once this war is over I hope more than anything that you'll finally find peace."

"Yeah, maybe…"

Link ran up the stairs and out of the house. Sadly, Lemus felt at that moment like he'd given the world all that he had left to give. That night he slit his wrists. Link never did find out and maybe it was for the best. It factors very little on the story and I don't wish to dwell on it. Some people never find their way and that is the single greatest tragedy in all the world.

This was a sad time and it seemed sadness couldn't be avoided. Link found a woman in the street crying hysterically. Even as he had slept the Cult of Ganon had been at work the night before. They had kidnapped the poor woman's child with a note telling her exactly where to find him. It was so obvious. It was a trap. They were baiting Link and he had no choice but to take the bait. But there was something he needed to do first and it was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do in his life.

"NOOOOO!" screamed Impa in anguish. "You murderer! You lying murdering rat! I hate you!" She fell over and sobbed.

Link grabbed her and held her tight. "I would have conquered this entire world to save her, you know that. I couldn't do anything. They poisoned her mind at the worst moment of her life. I would have died for her if my death wouldn't doom Hyrule. You have to believe that."

"She was my life," sobbed Impa. "I have nothing to live for. I might as well be dead."

"DON'T SAY THAT!" yelled Link. "There's been so much death and misery already. Don't you die on me too. You're like family to me. I need you. Don't say that, please."

Impa was inconsolable for hours. The whole town of Nabooru reacted with grief as well. Zelda had been loved by all who knew her and even by those who only knew of her. This time Link had forgotten to lie. It was alright. No one blamed him. He couldn't stay. He wanted to but that kid was depending on him. He took his leave of the sorrowing Impa after making her swear an oath that she wouldn't hurt herself. Impa was the kind of person who would not under any circumstances break an oath. Link headed back up north and to the east.

Elezaar had built a clever maze on this island designed to make it difficult for an enemy to even approach the palace. Even in his time this place must have been pretty dangerous. Link had no map of this place. He stumbled around this enormous labyrinth for over fourteen hours. He didn't find the boy, only numerous enemies and a bottle of fairy water. After all that he found himself right back at the entrance tired and completely depleted of magic. Was there any path he hadn't taken? As a matter of fact, yes, he hadn't taken the bottom one. It was dark and he had reached the end of that path and he still hadn't found….

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Link fell down a hole in the ground. There was the little boy, tied up in a corner. His eyes were red. It was obvious he had cried until he was too tired to keep it up. He must have been here a while. His lip was swollen from a pretty vicious smack to the face. He had wet his pants. He couldn't have been older than three or four. But they weren't alone. Link was about to face his first Lizalfos.

This was truly an intimidating creature. It was immune to the Sting and to either thrust. Its spear gave it a better reach than an Ironknuckle and it was far better with its shield. Link tried both the Stalfos and Ironknuckle techniques but each one gave him limited success. In the end sheer determination won the battle. Link kept at it and the creature was defeated.

Link had no time to celebrate. He had to get this boy back and he had to do it fast. He walked over and cut his ropes.

"What's your name?" asked Link gently. The boy fainted. "Never mind, just please don't turn into something awful on me or nothing."

Link ran. He ran like a maniac. It was already night and he had to get this kid back home right away. And he was vulnerable. With a child in his arms all he could do was outrun enemies which got to be difficult as the terrain headed uphill. Link ran up the hills and through the mountain passes. It was 4 AM by the time he arrived in Darunia. He pounded on the woman's door. She opened and…

This time it was Link's turn to faint. He couldn't help it. He was tired enough but he had run so hard over all that terrain. For the second time he woke up in an unfamiliar home. Link was starting to realize that his body might not hold out. The toll this quest was taking on him was just too much. Even at sixteen he just couldn't keep up.

The woman's gratitude was overwhelming but something about her words fell flat. Her brother's gift of the Reflect spell was essential but something just wasn't right.

The way Link was acting you'd think he was being punished or scolded instead of rewarded for valor. Why?

The kid. The kid had sensed something he didn't like about Link. Link was feeling it too. Maybe it wasn't his body that wasn't holding up. What was happening to him?

Once again, it was night when he reached his destination, the Labyrinth Palace. Big deal.

End Chapter 9


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

PALACE 4

This next palace was made of violet ceramic tiles. Was there some point to color coding these things? The smell of evil magic was strong in this place. Well that was new. It wasn't an aura but specifically the odor of magic. This time they weren't even going to wait for Link to get inside before they started trying to kill him. A Moa was flying around outside dropping magic fire all over.

"Pesky little bastard," grumbled Link. Under other circumstances he may have let it pass but he was in a bad mood.

"AGDA!"

If Link had an ounce of sense it would have left it alone. There was no rational reason to go after it, especially if it required wasting a spell. But Link was in the mood for a good fight. Not getting nearly the satisfaction he wanted from skewering the Moa right through the eye, Link decided to tempt fate. He woke up the statue. With the Jump spell still activated, it made fighting the Ironknuckle a little tougher. In five passes he not only landed enough hits to kill it but he took its head right off. Yup, empty inside.

The moment the elevator touched down, Link instinctively headed east. For just a moment something startled him. He saw a flash of something white but didn't get a good look at it. Whatever it was it was gone now but he had a bad feeling about it. Any surprises in a palace are bound to be unpleasant. Was there an enemy here that he couldn't see? Should he be looking for it? No. Not yet. If there was something new, something tougher, then he wanted to get tougher himself before he faced it.

Indentations in the floor filled the hallway between Link and the next elevator. In a moment he saw how useful they were. Two Stalfos Knights fell from the ceiling but seemed to be stuck in the gaps. Sure they could jump but they seemed confused for some reason. "Too easy," said Link to himself. He easily bounced over them both with the thrust and jumped into the elevator.

Wait… No. No he wouldn't. These things were the enemy. He had never liked running. Why should he? Dammit, it was demon slaying time! How else could he get stronger? One Stalfos Knight freed itself from its hole and attacked. It even tried to use the thrust. Link not only dodged but disarmed it the second that blade hit the ground.

"See you in hell," he sneered as he prepared to…

No, wait! A truly interesting idea (truly sick is more like it) crossed his mind. He grinned as he chopped its leg off. As it flailed around helplessly on the floor Link amused himself by beating the other one senseless with its friend's bony leg. If Ganon's forces were going to mess with him emotionally, then he was going to mess with them, doggone it. This was just stupid. After knocking two witless creatures around for a while he dispatched them. What a pointless thing to do. Link convinced himself it was just tit for tat. Such foolishness.

The very first passage he reached after the elevator had another Stalfos Knight waiting for him. No big deal. But after that there was a gigantic gap with a disappearing floor and a pit that might for all he knew be bottomless. He knew that if he went onward the only way back to the elevator would be the Fairy Spell and that would severely drain his magic. Wait, why was he hesitating? He had demons to punish. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"YEE HAW!"

Link jumped off the disappearing bridge and over onto the other side like an Olympic athlete. Hmm, more Goatheads. These things sure did seem to show up all over the place. Well they were easy enough but he had a Doomknocker to deal with afterwards. Using the newly acquired Reflect Spell was tempting. After all, his shield would get busted by even one hammer. But these creatures were also vulnerable to the thrust. Why waste magic unless absolutely necessary? Link jumped over its hammers and stabbed it in the forehead. When the hammers returned he jumped up and performed a thrust. No more Doomknocker.

Oops, spoke too soon. The very next room had another one. There were several platforms over a lava pit with breakable bricks blocking the middle of each. The bricks weren't a problem but the magic flames on top of them made mobility a slight problem.

"Ha! You dumbass!"

The Doomknocker hadn't been watching its step and fell into the lava. Link couldn't resist laughing. Heck, it was funny. He jumped onto the last platform and grabbed a key. And now to head back and…

"What the…"The Doomknocker was back on its platform. "Hope you didn't take that 'dumbass' crack too seriously."

Link jumped back onto the platform and flew at the Doomknocker blade-first as fast as he possibly could. Whether it took his remark seriously or not I can't say but who cares? Link sliced through its chest several times before it got even one hammer off.

Well now what? Use the Fairy Spell? Well the pit didn't seem bottomless. And he didn't want to waste magic either… What was that about nothing ventured? Stupid sayings.

Yup, he jumped. He landed on some more disappearing ledges about fifteen feet below. No time to think, he had to get off these things pronto. He leapt over onto the other side and found himself face to face with a Skull Ball and a Goathead. No biggie. Then a Doomknocker. Not his favorite opponent, but OK. Then two Stalfos Knights. Not the end of the world. Then…

"OH CRAP!"

A Blue Ironknuckle. Forget about this saving magic crap.

"AFE!"

"ARSTA!"

With the Shield Spell in place Link viciously charged it. Too bad. Fire had no effect on it. Link jumped and stabbed as ruthlessly as he could.

"GAH!"

Link had been so obsessed with stabbing and with blocking the Sting spell that he hadn't paid any mind to anything else this thing could do to him. The Ironknuckle ran him through with its blade. The second he hit the floor the Ironknuckle went to town with the Sting. Link's limbs were cut up, his ear was nearly severed, but even with a nearly mortal wound Link cleverly flailed around on the ground in a manner that protected anything vital.

"DIE!"

With a sudden spurt of adrenaline, Link got to his knees and stabbed at the Ironknuckle with such force that his blade went right through its shield. He coughed up some blood and collapsed.

Well Link must have been born with a horseshoe up his ass. The Ironknuckle had dropped a red jar. Link used his remaining magic to heal himself and then drank up. Behind where the Ironknuckle had been was a gate leading to the treasury. A pair of boots which had the distinct aroma of white magic was waiting for him. Apparently these were the boots that allowed the wearer to walk on water. Hmm… and there was no dock to the east of Nabooru. Using the raft was out of the question. It was a twenty foot drop to the water below. Link looked down. His own boots were nearly worn out. Well why not? Link quickly changed boots. He didn't want an enemy coming in and catching him barefooted. This was by far the most comfortable pair of boots he had ever worn in his life. I shouldn't have to tell you that after all the walking Link had been doing his feet were perpetually sore. Not only that but he had a terrible bout with shin splints. But it was like the pain left his as soon as he put those boots on.

Back in the shaft there was no place to go but down. This time the landing was a wee bit more frightening. Yes there was another disappearing surface but this time it was directly over lava and there were Demon Heads flying around all over. One hit could have sent him to his death.

No time to choose a path. Link ran east. It was another one of those rooms with lava pits, breakable bricks, and a key at the end. But this time the Doomknocker was no kamikaze. As you might imagine the obstacles between them made things harder.

THUD!

A hammer hit Link in the back pretty hard. OK, that did it! In his raged he leapt at it and stabbed wildly killing it before it ever would have had another chance to attack. With his adrenaline pumping, he took his anger out on the nearby Stalfos Knight too.

Link twisted this way and that. Well it didn't appear that he had any broken ribs but he could only imagine the size of the bruise on his back. He grabbed the key. Wow, he couldn't believe how hard his hands were shaking. What was wrong with him? He couldn't even hold his sword straight…

No time for that. Skull Ball at ten o'clock. Link barely had the patience to finish it off. He felt like he wanted to crawl out of his skin. Was this place having some sort of effect on him?

There was no place to go but west. The Demon Heads were no big obstacle but what lay ahead was, to say the least, unpleasant. Another old friend had come to play.

Wizzrobes.

Now Link understood exactly how bad things had gotten with the Cult and how much trouble he was in. All Wizzrobes were elves who had dabbled in dark magic and had been overcome with blood lust. They had sold their souls to Ganon years ago in exchange for what magic he would teach them. They no longer had minds or voices of their own. They were the enemies closest to Ganon himself. And it seemed as if this was a whole new batch.

These particular Wizzrobes were cloaked in white instead of orange or blue and to be honest, bore a strange resemblance to KKK members. Just like the ones he had known before, they shot magical radioactive waves at him and teleported around the room. Through them he could literally taste Ganon's hate in his mouth. He was certain these were probably members of the Cult who had taken the final and most terrible step in uniting with Ganon.

Whatever they were, this time his sword had no effect on them. Well if all else fails…

"ARSTA!"

Damn! It didn't work. Again. That was the second time he'd been fooled. Well maybe he shouldn't mess with them. No! That was cowards talk! But after slicing at these things for several minutes and getting no results (unless you count receiving some radiation burns as results) he had to give up and flee. I can't even begin to tell you how badly that upset him.

Killing a Bot nearby gave him a blue pitcher so the magic he had lost was restored. He could see far enough ahead to tell that there was another key room with bricks and Wolf Heads and there was no way he was messing with those things. He'd sooner use up a Fairy Spell. So he took the elevator back up to the top floor.

Out of the frying pan and into the… um, well into the other frying pan. There were more Wizzrobes up there. That must have been the white flash he had seen. OK, time to do something. What hadn't he tried? Fire hadn't worked. The sword didn't even cut through their robes. But there was one spell he hadn't used yet.

"AJIS!"

Link knelt down and the next time a Wizzrobe materialized near him he placed his shield close to the floor. The magic wave bounced right off and hit the Wizzrobe. Success! The Wizzrobe incinerated. The other Wizzrobes quickly perished the same way.

It was happening. He felt another surge of energy as his power increased from having killed enough enemies. He felt strong! He felt…

He felt very odd. For a moment he felt nauseated and had trouble breathing. His skin tingled and suddenly his thoughts were not his own. For several seconds he seemed to be looking into the dreams of another person. And yet not even one instant later he suddenly forgot the images he had just seen as quickly as a chalk drawing is erased from a blackboard. He knew they were evil and frightening beyond words but he couldn't remember a single detail. He felt dizzy and this time he couldn't stop himself from throwing up. He sat shivering in a fetal position for several minutes.

It was a while before he could stand up again. The taste of vomit was still strong in his mouth. Whatever had happened, no matter how scary, he had to go on whether he understood what was happening to him or not. But now there was a gate and he had passed up the key.

"AGRA!"

Link turned into a small fairy and flew right through. But even more magic was about to be called for. Above him were some breakable bricks between which he could see a key and a Skull Ball. In front of him was a Red Ironknuckle guarding a gate. Killing the Ironknuckle was no big deal but Link had to use the Jump spell to get the key. This time there was no choice. If there was a key up ahead he had to get it no matter what. He just didn't have enough magic left.

Luckily a room that typically would have contained Wolf Heads had only Doomknockers (oh gees, "only" Doomknockers. What arrogance). But it would have been nice if he'd calculated things better. The bricks were breakable, he tried to use the downward thrust, and well… ever fall through a floor only to have a two hundred pound Doomknocker land on top of you? Not fun, I assure you. Well at least he got the key. And a mild concussion.

At the bottom of the elevator shaft he was again faced with the familiar choice between east and west. Well heading west meant going through a gate guarded by Wizzrobes and here he was nearly out of magic. East. Yes, there was yet another one of those rooms with the lava and the platforms with bricks in the middle. Man, what idiot architect designed this place? Hard to believe people had lived here once. Well at least this one was free of Doomknockers. Plenty of Demon Heads, though. Link grabbed the key at the end of the room. Time to take a gamble. He had to stab the Ironknuckle statue. He needed a red jar.

"Oh please no unpleasant surprises…"

The lucky streak continued. A red jar popped right out.

It would seem the western passage presented a new problem. While Goatheads may have been no more than a mere inconvenience before, they were a real problem now. Link would try to set himself up to send a Wizzrobe's magic wave right back at it only to have a Goathead trot up and disrupt things. This distraction made it easy for the Wizzrobes to sneak up behind him. He desperately wished he could stab them but all he could do when they were that close was jump out of the way.

"ARSTA!"

In his anger Link rashly wasted a fire spell. Well at least he could nail the Goatheads before they came too close. It was in this way he managed to clear the room but he felt somehow unsatisfied. He shouldn't have had to resort to magic to win.

Another trip over another lava pit led him to the last elevator of the palace. Downstairs two Stalfos Knights and two Ironknuckles (neither of which was blue thankfully) awaited him. They were utterly defeated with little effort and Link prepared himself to face anything in the Guardian's Lair.

It was empty! Again! What in the world…

Link was horribly startled when Carrock appeared out of thin air. Carrock was easily as tall as Horsehead, was dressed in red robes and two evil looking eyes gleamed from beneath its hood. It looked like an evil monk.

Sadly it was one of the more disappointing fights Link had ever had been in. Carrock was essentially a large Wizzrobe. Why Elezaar would model a guardian after Ganon's closest disciples I can't say but that's what he did. Carrock was much faster than the other Wizzrobes and at first Link was utterly helpless against the onslaught. It moved too fast for him and it was knocking him around pretty good. I can tell you that it's hard to fight even a weak enemy when your skin is coming off due to radiation exposure. But as soon as Link crouched down by one of the force fields, Carrock couldn't seem to reach him. In any case all Link had to do was crouch and wait until enough of Carrock's spells had been reflected.

With a dazzling flash of light, Carrock met its end. Statue time. But what should have been a good moment turned sour. That feeling came back. With strength came suffering. Link lay face down on the floor and struggled to breathe as he fought off dry heaves.

End Chapter 10


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Well the boots worked. Link had no trouble leaving the maze now. He could walk right over the water ways. It didn't work perfectly. He couldn't seem to wade out too deep and wherever he went the water came up to his knees and walking was difficult. It was now nearly three in the morning.

Within a couple hours Link arrived back in Nabooru at the house where Impa was staying. He dreaded seeing her again. Their last encounter had been so unpleasant. What on earth could he say to her? When he arrived she was fast asleep. You would think he would have been relieved but Link wanted desperately to talk it over with her there and then. Had he really taken away her one and only reason for living?

Link had been through some long nights in his life but this one was the worst. Not that he had trouble sleeping. But his dreams were disturbing. Even before he woke up he couldn't remember what he had dreamed.

The next morning when he woke up he was in for the shock of his life. He was in Darunia! How on earth had he gotten there? He'd been known to walk in his sleep before but not that far and not through such dangerous terrain. If he could have seen himself he would have been even more shocked. He had demonic symbols painted all over his face in blood. Strange markings were drawn all over the ground. He looked all around but saw no one at first…

"AH!"

Everyone was dead! Bodies were all over the place. Every single one of them had HLG carved in their foreheads. The sight was beyond sickening. Men, women, and yes, children. From some tattoos he found it appeared some of them may have even been Cult members. What the hell happened? He could see from tracks on the ground that some of them had run out of town. Perhaps they had made it to safety.

Just then Link heard some soft whimpering coming from underneath an overturned horse trough. He picked it up and a little girl was hiding underneath.

"It's OK sweetie, I won't hurt you…"

The girl took one look and Link and screamed bloody murder. She tried to run but Link needed an answer so badly that he grabbed her. As he did he saw a puddle on the ground and in the reflection saw his own face grotesquely painted in blood.

"What happened?"

The girl continued screaming and desperately trying to pull herself loose.

"I won't hurt you, I just want to help."

The girl became more and more agitated.

"Answer me! Who did this?"

"YOU DID!" screamed the girl.

In his shock he let her go. The girl couldn't have been any older than seven but as soon as he let her go she punched him in the face hard enough to break his nose. While he was grabbing his face, she took off like an Olympic sprinter.

"No!"

It couldn't be true. Never in a hundred million years…

Link washed his face off in the puddles the best he could. HIS SWORD! His sword had blood all over it. How could this be? Link wondered if the world was ending. I couldn't do justice to what he was feeling at this point in print. Sorrow. Confusion. Fear. His whole world was falling apart.

Link looked all over but couldn't find any more survivors. But it seemed as though a lot of the people he had seen before had escaped. They were not among the dead at least. He couldn't possibly bury them all. The only thing he could do was to cremate the piles of bodies he found. The flames spread to the houses and burned those too. He hadn't wanted or expected that but at this point it didn't seem to make too much difference. He watched in misery as an entire town and everything it had been was reduced to cinders. This was a new low for him.

The long walk back to Nabooru was terribly disturbing. He tried to think about Zelda but for the first time he couldn't even remember what she looked like. He tried to pray but he didn't know what to say.

Just then he heard an angry shout. The next thing he knew, a man he had seen before in Darunia raced out from behind a pile of rocks and viciously attacked him.

"Traitor! Vile fiend!" he shouted. "We tried to help you!"

"It wasn't me!" yelled Link.

"Liar!"

The man was obviously a soldier and a very good swordsman but even he was no match for Link who easily disarmed him and knocked him to the ground.

"Go ahead," snarled the soldier bravely. "Kill me. Kill an unarmed man the way you slew all those innocent people last night. I hope it feels good, coward!"

At the word "coward" something unexpected happened. Link was seized by a sudden and terrible rage. He really did want to kill him! But he didn't too. It was as if he were in a death struggle with his own sword arm which seemed to desperately want to spill this man's blood. Thank God the sensible part of him won out. With an almost girlish scream, Link ran away into the woods as fast as he could.

By the time he got to Nabooru it was late afternoon already. He had washed all the blood off of himself and used magic to heal his nose. In the distance he saw a large crowd in the city streets. What was going on? He was scared to enter the town. Perhaps rumors had reached Nabooru already. Link got off the path and hid in the tall grass. No demons bothered him there. If they had the death they would have suffered would have been quite painful.

"It wasn't you."

Link nearly died of fright. He turned around to see Impa standing over him.

"I told all those people in Nabooru that you would never do such a thing," she continued. "I'm not sure they completely believe me. There are quite a few traumatized survivors from Darunia staying there."

"Impa, Impa my gosh I don't know what in the world is happening," stammered Link. "I have no memory whatsoever of killing anyone but I woke up and I was in Darunia and I was…"

"Shhhh," interrupted Impa. "You don't need to convince me. Whatever sort of evil we're up against is beyond anything we've ever even dreamed of. Everything now depends on the reunion of the Triforce. If that doesn't happen or if the Triforce falls into evil hands the world will be dead before two weeks have passed."

"How did I wind up in Darunia?" asked Link.

Impa sighed. "I don't mean to alarm you kid, but it seems as if the forces behind the Cult do have some sort of hold on you after all. Nonetheless, I refuse to believe you killed all those people, even under some sort of control. They may have gotten you to Darunia but they could never make you do all that. Which brings me to my next point…"

Here Impa grew quiet and found it hard to continue. "Zelda meant so very, very much to me," she continued at last. "I don't blame you for her death. If I really honestly did I would have tried to kill you right then and there. I was so grief stricken I thought I'd die. Can you ever forgive me?"

Link threw his arms around the old woman. "Of course I do. Who else do I have left? What would I ever do without my favorite granny?"

Impa got choked up. "I never got married. I never had any children to love me. I was so devoted to my art and to service to the king. When Zelda was born… Oh Link it was heaven!"

At this point Impa really did start crying but she continued. "I gave up everything to be her nursemaid and when her brother Fabian was born it was like I really was a grandmother. But that poor girl went through so much. And it was reprehensible her having to marry that pig. He did this to her, dammit! Whatever darkness she was feeling made her susceptible to some evil ideas that turned into obsessions. But she came around before she died. Thank God…"

Impa breathed hard. This was getting tough for her. "I'm OK," she continued. "If anything ever happened to you I don't know what I'd do. But I want you to know I'll go on no matter what happens. I can't put that weight on your shoulders. The weight of the world has already been placed there thanks to this whole quest thing. Any more and you'll break."

"I wish I knew what to do now," muttered Link.

"You'd better avoid the town," replied Impa. "I can restore your magic and you can use that magic to heal yourself. I'll sit on the path just south of Nabooru waiting. If you need me, I'll be there. I've done enough snooping to figure out that the next palace is on a small island to the east and there is a rock just to the north of it that has a heart icon."

She looked at the sky. "Night is falling. Maybe you should rest up and try it tomorrow."

"No!"

"What's wrong?" asked Impa.

"I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what will happen the next time I go to sleep. I'm afraid something could happen to you."

Impa sighed. "I don't know what to tell you. I wish I could promise you that nothing bad will happen but I can't. But I am a very light sleeper. If I so much as sense one movement from you I'll run like crazy. But I don't want to send you in there if you aren't fully rested. Now here, I got us some food and water from town."

The two of them ate and as the hours passed by Link grew drowsy. Impa refused to fall asleep before he did. He was afraid of falling asleep but he couldn't help it. Eventually he dozed off. Impa stared at him for several minutes. She too was quite concerned. When she was satisfied that nothing bad would happen she too lay down…

"After I kill this fool the very next life I take will be yours, Impa."

Impa sat bolt upright and looked over at Link. What she saw both puzzled and frightened her very badly. He was asleep, that was obvious. He was even snoring. But his eyes were wide open.

"Who are you?" asked Impa in shock.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Well you'll find out just as soon as the rest of the world does. Then you'll die."

Link's mouth had never moved but Impa had heard Link's voice as clear as day in her mind.

"Oh what's the matter? I thought you were going to 'run like crazy' if anything happened. Well no need. I won't strike again. Yet. But you say one word to Link about this pleasant little chat and come tomorrow night there won't be one living person left on this part of the island. I mean it. Sweet dreams."

With that Link's eyes closed again. Impa was terrified. She didn't understand what had just happened at all. What on earth was she going to do?

When Link woke up the next morning he saw Impa sitting nearby wide awake and as alert as a guard dog clutching a book of spells. Her eyes were bloodshot. It was obvious she hadn't slept all night.

"Oh no, what happened?" asked Link.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Don't ask me that question. Just don't. I can't answer nor can I tell you why I can't answer. But you'd better hurry. We may have much less time than I thought."

"Impa…"

"Don't talk! Just go!"

Link took one last look at her and hurried off. She watched him disappear over the next hill and promptly fell asleep.

In the meantime Link jumped off the cliff where the path ended into the water. There was no way he could have used a raft here. He trudged his way through the waters, first to the rock where the heart icon lay waiting and then finally to the palace. It was about seven in the morning.

End Chapter 11


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

PALACE 5

It took Link all of three seconds to decide that he hated this place. A cold dankness seemed to envelop every inch of the Water Palace. Oddly enough, it was green in color and seemed to be made of some sort of metal. The dark color made the palace seem more sinister and it made it darker inside than a palace normally would be.

The first corridor was no challenge. Just bricks, Ropes, and a Demon Head Statue. But the very next room was infested with Skull Balls and in order to pass through it he needed to get over a tall wall. Only one thing to do.

"AGRA!"

He hated wasting that much magic that early on but there was no choice. While it was true that being a fairy made him a difficult target to hit it also left him defenseless. He hated that. Especially now. For some reason he couldn't seem to pick up the key at the top of the wall. It was heavier than the glove. He had to fly far enough away for the spell to wear off and then go back to the previous room to slay the last Skull Ball and get the key.

Not one "original" obstacle lay ahead. He had to cross a disappearing bridge over a lava pit with Demon Heads flying all over. One hit would have knocked him into the lava below. The next room had those drippy ceiling thingies that produced Bots, more brick barriers, and yes, two Red Ironknuckles in an environment with limited mobility. All rather repetitive. Maybe it was boring but boring might just keep him alive. He opened a nearby gate and took an elevator downwards.

Huh, that was strange. Link had gone east when he got downstairs but for the first time in all of his palace experiences he hit a dead end with nothing of value waiting for him there. He had been told by a villager that there was a false wall somewhere in this palace but upon examination it seemed to be real enough. Nothing to do but turn around and head west. Link was seriously starting to dislike this place more and more every minute. And it hadn't even really begun to get dangerous yet.

"Son of a…"

Dead bodies. Of all the sights Link didn't want to see the top selection on his list was right in front of him, both terrifying and mocking him. He was being emotionally beaten over the head with memories of Darunia. Seven elf men lay cut up on small altars. Seven men, seven towns, seven sages. Not just sick but symbolic.

Now Link understood what he hated so much about this place. He had sensed it before he saw it. This was no ordinary palace. It was being used a high temple of human sacrifice… er, elf sacrifice, well you get the idea… for the priests of the Cult of Ganon. Magos, as these vile priests were called, were all over the place. Like the Wizzrobes, they were elves and possessed the ability to teleport but they could stay in a dematerialized state for longer periods of time. Rather than radioactive waves, they used fire as a weapon which traveled along the floor much more slowly. Link wasted a Reflect Spell only to discover that the fire could not be sent back at its source.

"Why are you doing this?" Link shouted. "He's a liar. He won't reward you for taking his side. When he has all the power he'll just kill you."

No response. Just wicked laughter which seemed to come from nowhere.

"Did he tell you I'd say that? He did, didn't he? Did he convince you I was wrong and that you'll be spared and rewarded? Or are so messed up that you'll gladly embrace death in his name? In that case I have no sympathy for you. Your blood will atone for Darunia. Come meet your death!"

One Mago appeared right behind Link. Before it could attack he stabbed it right in the chest. He expected it to go down but its power had made it strong. It stumbled back a step or two and disappeared but it still managed to get off a fireball which Link hadn't expected and had a difficult time dodging.

Was it worth staying here and fighting it out with these freaks? Probably not. Would they follow him if he went on? Only one way to find out. Link headed west as quickly as possible. To his dismay their pattern of teleportation did indeed seem to follow him but at least they didn't try to follow him out of the room. He promised himself that was the last time he'd run from them. Next time he'd take their lives.

The following room also had a collapsing ceiling like what he had encountered in the second palace. But this one had one major difference. Up on a shelf nearby was a key too high for him to reach. This gave him an idea. Maybe if he could break the bricks in a certain pattern he could get up there.

"AGDA!"

Link set to work right away. Once four blocks had fallen nearby he realized breaking wasn't needed. He leapt straight up onto the shelf and grabbed the key. But now what? In front of him more and more bricks rained down and stacked up in an erratic pattern. Not only that but he heard an unpleasantly familiar high pitched noise. An Orange Moa had come to join the fun.

Timing was everything now. Link waited until the bricks were stacked nearly all the way up to the ceiling. At exactly the right moment he jumped like a stag towards the west side of the pile. A falling brick nearly crushed him but he kept his head and nailed it with the upward thrust. As he reached the edge he saw the Moa right below him. He jumped off and nailed the Moa with the downward thrust on the way down, careful not to land on the fireball it had just dropped.

His usual fans where waiting for him in the next room. Three Ironknckles in a row. By now only the Blue ones were a match for him. He wished somehow he could sic these things on the bad guys. How do you tell an empty suit of armor you are on its side? Well at least one of them dropped a red jar.

The elevator took him to another fork in the road complete with complementary Magos. This time he kept his word and took the time to slug it out with them. They were quite crafty. The two of them avoided him well and reappeared on both sides of him seeming to box him in. Sad for them that they didn't know about the downward thrust, eh? What is also sad to report is the satisfaction Link derived from slamming his blade into fellow elves. Marcellus' advice about not hating the Cult members had long since become meaningless to him.

Now which way to go? Well he had gone east before and hit a dead end. It couldn't happen twice in a row, now could it? What do you think?

Several minutes later Link returned to the elevator shaft bruised and angry. There had indeed been a dead end. Of course by the time he figured that out he had already fought through Bago Bagos, a lava pit, and not one, not two, but three Ironknuckles, one of them blue. A blade had hit him in the armpit. Now he was pissed.

It was time to chose paths again. There was another elevator shaft up ahead but Link also had the choice of going straight ahead on the path. Whatever instincts Link had earlier had faded somewhat but now they were starting to kick in again. He took the elevator downwards but only down one floor. This place was laced with dead ends all over and he was determined not to walk into another one. To the east there was a Red Ironknuckle standing on a high shelf guarding a key. Perfect.

"AGDA!"

Oops, he had forgotten one little detail. It's a little difficult to fight an Ironknuckle with the Jump spell in place. The whole operation depends on jumping up and fooling it into dropping its shield. This one had too much time to react. He had to jump over it several times before he could kill it. With the key in hand, Link continued west.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!"

Another dead end? Link had just fought his way through several hostile Magos and a Blue Ironknuckle. One of the Magos had sunk its long fingernails into his left eyebrow and cut it very badly. It had aimed for his eye but missed. The Ironknuckle had fractured his jaw with its shield. Now this. It just seemed so unfair. He wanted to scream. In his frustration he kicked the wall. Or at least he tried to. His foot hit nothing and he fell on his ass. There was a tunnel through the wall! It wasn't magic, it was an optical illusion hiding it. He might have walked past a million times without seeing it.

That laughter. Oh those damn Magos just wouldn't let up. What was it going to take to get rid of those things? And yet oddly enough, Link's instincts told him to ignore not only the Magos but also the elevator in the next hall and continue west. Well his instincts had yet to lead him wrong but Link was itching for a fight. He had promised himself not to avoid Magos anymore. But the mission was more important. So be it.

The next corridor featured even more Magos and (big surprise here, folks) even more Goatheads. Oh goodie, he'd get his fight after all. After battling to his heart's content (again enjoying killing too much) he took the elevator at the end of the hall. He just had to see where this would take him. To be precise, where it took him was a large room with three Blue Stalfos and barriers between each one. OH JOY, an unguarded key. Well not exactly unguarded but it wasn't like those Stalfos could do anything but kiss their bony butts goodbye as soon as they took on Link.

Well, now it was time to take that last elevator he had passed up. Oh what a miserable time he was in for! Magos and Wolfs Heads and Ironknuckles, oh my! (That's a joke, son) And… what the heck was this? A flute? Were there whirlwinds in this territory too?

Link was in for a long and boring walk. West, up, east for a while, and Link found himself back at the first elevator that had lead him to this part of the palace. Heading back up, Link walked east yet again reaching another elevator. Since he honestly had no clue which way to go, Link chose to go up. Bad choice. There was a gate and three Ironknuckles waiting up there and he had no more keys. Well he was fed up and wasn't going to go looking for it.

"AGRA!"

Transforming into a fairy, Link easily floated through the gate, over their heads, and pretty soon he found himself walking into a room with very familiar draperies. As well as the most intimidating guardian he had ever seen. It was Gooma.

Gooma was a monster in every sense of the word. It stood about eight and a half feet tall and must have weighed a couple thousand pounds, nearly all of it muscle. It was dressed in singlet with only one shoulder strap. On its head it wore an enormous leather mask similar to those of Mexican wrestlers but with one major difference: this one had several dagger-sharp spikes on top.

Link immediately applied the Shield and Jump spells. He was furious at himself for being afraid. As soon as Gooma came to life, it pulled out an enormous mace and chain and approached Link menacingly. Link crept up closer. Too close! He had to jump out of the way of a very forceful mace swing. No sooner had the mace swung by than Link jumped up and attacked its head. Hey, it worked on three of the four guardians he had met before this one.

BANG!

Link got hit so hard he nearly had an out of body experience. He desperately struggled to his feet. He had suffered horrible injuries in spite of the Shield spell. His ribs were badly broken, he had bad puncture wounds to the torso and he was in so much pain that he nearly went crazy. If the elves had discovered morphine at that point in history, he would have done anything for a dose. The spells he had used had taken up too much of his magic. He couldn't heal himself. But one more hit and he was a goner for sure.

There was only one chance to find this creature's vulnerability and figure out how to attack it. Gooma was closing fast. Oh gosh, it was hard to think with all the pain! If it wasn't the head, perhaps the legs? No. No way. The torso? It had to be! Link crept up again and lured Gooma into swinging its mace again. This time when he jumped he stabbed Gooma right in the gut. Success! It flashed and stumbled backwards. No time! No time at all! If it backed him up he was done for. Link attacked as quickly and ruthlessly as he could. Once, twice, three times…

"AH!"

Gooma had nailed him again. This time the blow didn't connect quite so well and Link fell to the ground right in front of the monster. Instead of swinging its mace and finishing him off, Gooma stepped on Link's foot, crushing nearly every bone in it.

Something happened. Something bad. That sudden feeling of anger and hate came over him again but not like before. This time it was far more intense and seemed to occupy every fiber of his being. It was like a voice in his head telling him to kill. And this time he decided to give in to it. In a sudden rage he cut Goomas arm off, the one it had been holding its mace with. He grabbed Gooma's other arm and bit into it as hard as he possibly could, ripping off a considerable chunk. Grasping his sword, he dealt a blow to Goomas body so severe that it nearly cut him in two. The fight was over. Gooma detonated.

"No! MORE! I want MOOOOOORRRRREEEE!"

Ignoring the statue completely, Link ran out into the previous hall where two Ironknuckles awaited him.

"GAH!"

He angrily cut through them both ignoring the Sting spells that were cutting up his abdomen. The third crossed through the gate in his direction only to meet the same fate.

The gate! It was in his way! Link angrily slammed against it and howled like a wild animal. But wait! A key had dropped from the ceiling. He could use that and…

Suddenly the pain that he was in became so much worse that it snapped him back to reality. He was hurting too badly to feel any emotions right now so he limped all the way over to the statue. The moment he was healed and outside the palace he collapsed into the sand and shook all over.

"No…. What's happening to me?"

Now was seriously starting to wonder if he really did kill those people in Darunia. What had he become? Far more had happened on this trip than he had ever bargained for but this was too much to take. Was he Dr. Jeckle now? Would Zelda have ever fallen for such a fiend? Ever since he had left the mainland he felt like he'd left his sanity behind. This wasn't righteous anger. This was sick!

"Link…"

There was no mistaking that voice. It was Zelda. But no more words came. Was it a comfort? Wait…

Link understood something. Whatever this was and how it had happened didn't matter. He could control it. Of course it was horribly difficult but ultimately he had made the decision to give in inside the palace. Thank God it had been only enemies he had attacked.

Link still had one great hope. He hoped that the reunion of the Triforces would overcome whatever was within in him. But perhaps when he was asleep he couldn't control it. Link crossed back over the water and hid in some tall grass. In the distance he could see Impa. He knew he could never allow her to be put in harm's way again.

"Goodbye granny," he whispered. "From here on out I have to go it alone."

"Link, you're never alone…"

Zelda again. The sadness he had felt at leaving the old woman behind passed somewhat. He forced himself to go on.

End Chapter 12


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"I thought you were supposed to hate noise!"

Link was face to face with the River Devil, a gigantic spider-like creature who screeched at him in a high pitch bad enough to bust an eardrum. Link couldn't get near it. Not that it was dangerous in the most direct sense. It hadn't managed to injure him but it had knocked him on his ass several times. And he hadn't landed so much as a blow. Between the screeching and the creature's legs crashing into him, Link was starting to wonder if this thing had any weakness at all.

"OK jackass, here I come ready or not!"

Link applied the Jump spell and tried to execute a very high downward thrust only to get knocked over again.

"Remind me to send you my chiropractor's bills," groaned Link. "Hates noise? I made as much noise as I could and this damn thing wasn't affected at all. And this lousy whistle didn't summon so much as a breeze. Whistle… Wait a minute… Oh man am I a dumbass!"

Link pulled out the whistle and played a little tune. It wasn't loud at all but the River Devil screamed in agony which made Link want to scream in agony too because it was so loud. But it did work. The gigantic annoyance climbed up into the nearby rocks and the path was clear. Link's ears were ringing horribly. As you might imagine, elves have sensitive ears.

Had it not been for Link's concern over his ears he might have been paying better attention. Of course he noticed he was walking past a large wooden wall. Anyone would. What he failed to notice was that it wasn't a wall, it was the outside of a demon outpost. This part of the island had centuries ago been ruled by the wicked elf Ganondorf who once dwelt in the Great Palace. Ganondorf's obsession with evil and with the occult went to such an extreme that he eventually allowed himself to become the demon Ganon. And just because Ganondorf hadn't ruled here in a few hundred years didn't mean this outpost was unmanned.

THUD!

A rock hit Link in the back. It took him less than a second to realize what he had stumbled into but it was too late. Dozens of Lizalfos sentries were perched at the top of the wall above him. Ganondorf had wanted to make it practically impossible for an invading army to get to him. He had made it so that the only way into his realm was one narrow and fiercely guarded path.

The band of Lizalfos hissed at Link and lobbed rock after rock in his direction. Running did no good. He only got hit worse. All he could do was dodge and then run forward in brief spurts, which would have worked better had the path not been guarded by more monsters. And of course he couldn't very well dodge the rocks while fighting off an opponent. To make matters worse he had to pass three of these outposts. By the time he got clear he was bleeding all over and one eye was swollen shut.

As it so often happens in life, things only got worse. He didn't dare enter the woods without knowing what was there. Without being able to see clearly, he could only imagine what would happen if he entered the cemetery to the south. And yet the path was ending. He had to go somewhere and wherever he went he'd be unprotected. Good thing he didn't bring Impa to this terrible place.

It seemed the only option was to cross the bridge in front of him. According to his map, the town of Kasuto could be reached if he took that bridge east, and then took the bridge directly below it west to the town. He hoped they had a good healer. But this just wasn't Link's lucky day. The bridge was old and had fallen into disrepair. Chunks of it were missing and the Basilisk and Bago Bagos didn't make crossing a picnic either. Link couldn't avoid getting hit a few times. But he had to be cautious not to get knocked into the boiling water below. The bridge to town was identical. Oh, but you haven't heard the best part yet.

Kasuto was another one of those towns where the evil there had made the sky grow darker. Link was certain this place was swarming with Cult members. But no... It was deserted!

Oops, spoke too soon. There was that high pitched sound again but where was it coming from? Link looked all over but couldn't see so much as one Moa anywhere…

"Oof!"

Something ghastly hit Link in the stomach. He knew what it was like to be struck by a ghost, painful and so cold that it burns. He had been hit by a Moa for certain, but where had it come from? Even on his guard Link was hit several more times.

Without even thinking, Link ducked into a house with no door. Right away he could tell it was an Oracle's home. Oh, but he wouldn't still be here if everyone else had left. Would he? To Link's amazement, when he searched the basement an old man was indeed sitting by the basement wall. This fellow was the oldest Oracle he had seen yet.

"The town is dead," mumbled the Oracle who didn't seem surprised at the fact that he had a visitor. "Look east in woods."

Link crept forward and in the pale light noticed that the old man was blind. "What happened here?" asked Link.

"Isn't it obvious?" replied the Oracle. "The Holy Legion of Ganon had a strong presence here for quite some time. They finally waged all-out war here in which neighbor fought against neighbor. But they were just too strong. In the end the demons showed up and aided them. Those who managed to flee survived. The rest were killed and the town was nearly burnt to the ground. I was blinded in the fight."

"But you stayed. Why?"

"This town is my home!" replied the Oracle. "I'll be damned if anyone makes me leave this place. This is where I want to die. The demons are smart enough not to trouble me. I may be old and feeble but the magic I possess is strong beyond words and will kill even the strongest of them. But don't ask me for this magic just yet, heir of Elezaar. Yes, I know who you are."

"You and everyone else on this planet," replied Link. "But everyone else could see my crest."

"Who else would show up here in a time such as this?" replied the oracle.

"I could be a Cult member."

"No chance. You are the one. I can feel it."

"Then why won't you help me?"

"I will," replied the Oracle. "But not just yet. You are not ready. I want you to increase your magical talents to their very limits. And one little favor…"

Link sighed. "I'm listening."

"I'd like for you to find the survivors of this town. They are far away but still so dear to me. You must aid them in any way you can. The eastern most part of this half of the island is where they have hidden themselves."

"I'll do what I can," said Link.

"And here is what good I can tell you," replied the Oracle. "There is a heart icon at the eastern edge of the desert. And in the nearest palace there is a Magic Cross which will enable its bearer to see these hidden Moas. There is no way to reach Ganondorf's Palace without it. There are too many of them."

"Where is the palace with the cross?" asked Link.

The old man smiled. "The Hidden Palace? Perhaps the survivors will tell you. It will give you greater incentive to find them."

Link was getting slightly impatient with this old codger but somehow felt strongly sympathetic to him as well. Here he was, so old and nearly on death's doorstep, blind, and completely alone.

"How long have you been here?" asked Link.

"I have tried my best to keep track of time," replied the Oracle. "By my reckoning, it has been eighteen months."

"Eighteen months!" exclaimed Link. "And no one ever visited you in that time?"

The old man shook his head sadly. "It's just too dangerous. And I don't know if they know I'm still alive. Wait… my son… My eldest son would surely sense it if I passed… Yes… Yes they know I am alive. And they are in good hands. My son is a wise and worthy man. I'm sure he is their Oracle now. Please go to him…"

The Oracle broke into a coughing fit and couldn't continue. Link looked around. How had he survived? Where on earth would he have gotten food and water? From the looks of him he was half-starved. And how could he have lived through this horrible loneliness?

Link picked up a ratty old blanket he found nearby and placed it over the old man who didn't even seem to have the strength to sit up now. He lifted up the old man's head and gave him what was left in his water skin and a few stale pieces of bread he had taken with him. The old man promptly fell asleep but not before mumbling a brief word of gratitude. Link swore to himself this man would see his son again. Perhaps Link had been meant to be good to the elderly as part of his destiny in life.

The minute he had left the Oracle's house, Link fled from the town as fast as he could. As badly injured as he already was he didn't want to be messing around with an invisible enemy. He had to endure yet another fun trip over the bridge and after that a long trek across the desert to find the heart icon. This was truly a bad place. There were giant Scorpions here that could shoot fire from their tails. Cute, eh? The heat icon wasn't hidden though, nor was it guarded.

New Kasuto was another story. The old man had neglected to mention that the eastern forest to which he was referring was on the other side of the mountains. Link didn't find the cave through the mountains for three hours. Needless to say, the cave was well-guarded by demons and by the time he emerged he was in need of healing again. But to his shock, there was no town.

Here it was, getting dark and there was a small patch of woods and a beach. No town though. But at least there weren't any enemies here. Oh wait, here they were. Lizalfos. Lots of them. And they were far better with their shields than even Ironknuckles. Link had already learned the hard way that the maces held by Red Lizalfos couldn't be stopped by his shield.

Where on earth was that town?

The only thing odd about this place was a large patch where there was literally no room between the trees. Hmm… no axe, true, but he had a magic hammer. Lo and behold the trees dropped like they'd been hit by Paul Bunyan himself with only a light tap of the hammer. Yes indeed, here was the town. It had been very well hidden. Not only were the trees covering it but the buildings had been camouflaged well.

The townspeople looked shocked to see Link coming. Immediately he held up his crest to assure them that he was not an intruder. I think that was the first time he had ever openly brandished it. Once again he was swamped with requests to save the town.

"This part of the woods had been clear," explained one woman. "There hadn't been any demons out here. We were safe. Now they're here and we can only hope we haven't been discovered. If they saw you come here, we're dead."

"That might be a problem," said Link. "I knocked down a few trees to get in here."

"Not a problem at all," replied the woman. "Those trees aren't real. They're magic. They reappeared right after you knocked them down."

All of the sudden Link remembered something.

"Quick! Where is your Oracle?"

A young woman took him to a house in the middle of town. But this couldn't be right. There was no basement. It was a split level house and it was empty.

"Things are not always as they seem," explained the young girl. She pressed on a stone near the chimney and the back of the fireplace opened revealing a secret passage. "Yes, we are quite cautious. Can you blame us?"

The passage lead into the basement where the old man's son seemed delighted at Link's arrival.

"At last!" he exclaimed. "The one with the crest has arrived. And none too soon. The forces of evil will overrun this country soon…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt," said Link, "but I saw your father."

"My father! How is he? I had hoped he survived but as each day passed I lost more and more hope. He was so stubborn. He wouldn't come with us."

"I think he's fading fast," replied Link. "I think the food and drink I brought him had been the first he'd had in ages. He wanted me to help this village."

"It's too late," replied the Oracle. "He most likely wanted you to lead us to safety but we are trapped now. The demons have surrounded the woods around us. Our only hope is that they don't discover we are here so close to them. The monsters are strong but hardly intelligent. We can't follow you to the northern part of the island."

"Then your safety depends on my quest," said Link, thinking out loud.

"I want your word you will complete that quest," said the Oracle.

"You have it."

"Very well. Remember the magic word. AROKA!"

"What will that do?" asked Link.

"Aside from unlocking things that have remained hidden by magic, it will alter some demons to a weaker form."

"Did you learn that word from your father? Is that his magic?"

"No," replied the Oracle. "That was all mine. An oracle only passes his greatest secret to his heir when he is near death. I developed this one myself after years of academic study on the principles of magic."

"I'm sure your father would be proud. I'll bring you to him if I can."

The townsfolk in New Kasuto were more eager to aid Link than any he had encountered thus far. One was eager to tell him how to find the palace. He had to play his flute by the boulders known as Three Eye Rock. Another told him they was a sort of "warp" in the palace; a hole that would continually take you to a lower floor. When you reached the lowest point you would rematerialize at the highest point. And of course there were women in town all too happy to restore his health and magic. But the Oracle's young nephew gave him what he needed most at the moment: lodging. It was dark but the evenings were coming sooner now; sooner than they should. The evil over the land had become strong.

The next morning Link set out to take on the Hidden Palace. At least that was the plan until an old woman stopped him in his tracks. "You deserve my help" was all she said. Link followed her to a nearby house. She led him inside.

"What sort of help were you going to offer me?" asked Link.

The woman didn't answer. She stared hard at Link.

"What is it?"

At length she finally spoke.

"You're so… young. I can't go through with it."

"What's that mean?" asked Link. "You mean you're not going to help me after all?"

"I was supposed to lure you in here and murder you," she answered.

"WHAT!"

"It was all set up," she continued. "The Cult told me all I had to do was kill you and I'd have my husband back. He was slain when the Cult members in the old town turned against the rest of us. All I had to do was lead you to your death and they swore they'd bring him back from the dead."

"And you believed them?" asked Link in disbelief.

"I've seen it with my own eyes!" insisted the woman.

"What exactly is it that you saw?"

"I saw them kill a dog. Mind you, witnessing this ritual this was forced upon me. I had been captured. They slit its throat. Then before I had recovered from the shock of seeing an innocent animal killed, they brought it back to life right before my very eyes," she replied.

"They did?" Link started to wonder if it had been false promises and not worship of power that had lured some people to join the Cult.

"How did they bring it back to life?" he asked. He had a nasty feeling he knew the answer already.

"A Mago priest had cut the animal," she explained. "Then after the dog bled to death, its body was burned with the Mago's magic fire. The ashes were collected and placed on an altar to Ganon. The Mago cut himself with a knife and chanted a few words that I didn't understand. The dog reappeared! The Mago told me his blood was magic. He said he would gladly dig up my husband's body and restore him with his blood. And all I had to do was to offer you fairy water laced with poison."

Link sighed. Now he understood. "Thank you for your honesty. But ma'am, his blood wasn't magic."

"What do you mean? I'm telling you, I saw it!"

"I've been taught a lot about that particular type of black magic," replied Link. "The spell was successful because he was the one who killed the dog. That's how that incantation works. And that was for an animal, not an elf or a demon. In order for them to have resurrected your husband, they would have had to find the Cult member who killed your husband and drain him of ALL his blood. That's something they never would have done. Dark magic leads one to deceive the innocent. And even if they had gone through with it… well… if I understand this correctly, only his body would have been brought to life. He would have returned to this world with the soul of a demon."

The woman fell to the floor sobbing. "Then I've lost him forever. What am I going to do? He was all I had!"

Link didn't comfort her. He still didn't completely trust her.

"I swore a blood oath," she continued. "If I betrayed them I swore to end my own life." She lifted up her sleeve to show "HLG" tattooed onto her arm. "If my neighbors knew I'd be strung up."

"It's never too late to do the right thing," Link insisted. "I should know. And as for your neighbors, I'm sure they sympathize with what you're going through. The hardest times of our lives bring out either the best or most desperate in all of us."

"Nearly all of them lost a loved one," she replied. "None of them went to this extreme. Tell them not to lose hope."

With that she pulled out a small vial and drank from it. She collapsed. "I… never put this in the fairy water… it's in the basement…"

"No!" shouted Link. "You said not to lose hope! You said it yourself!"

"All I have to hope for is gone," she mumbled. "The world you will create when you win wasn't meant for traitors."

"You're wrong!" retorted Link. "It was meant for all of us! All of us! Every single sinner among us who struggles with the darkness every day of our lives. And we don't always win. But we're always ready to try again, dammit! These Cult members, they despaired. I understand it now. They lost their belief that goodness could ever overcome when the darkness seemed so strong. They were lured by evil but they didn't love it yet. But they were too frightened of being on the losing side. They learned to love it in time. And when they committed evil in the name of Ganon and realized what they had done they didn't believe they could ever be forgiven and turned their backs on the light . That's when they really began to truly love evil. But it doesn't have to be like that! People can change. Lives can be lived again. I know it, I just know it."

The woman was getting weaker. "You're right. Everyone else is always right and I'm always wrong. But… I do regret drinking this poison. So stupid… you make me want to live again when I'm about to die… I wish I'd known you long ago. But…"

She broke into a coughing fit. She was having trouble breathing now.

"Chosen one… come closer," she whispered. Link leaned over to hear her. "There is… a secret at… edge of… town…"

The old woman breathed her last. The sympathy and pity Link felt outweighed anger or grief. He reached over and closed her eyes for her. He knew what he had to do. He had just spoken wisdom. He had told the woman to follow her own advice but she wasn't strong enough to do it. But he had to be strong enough to follow his own advice. He quietly descended the stairs and in the basement he found the bottle of fairy water. He debated with himself for a moment whether or not to risk drinking it. It could have all still been a lie. It could have. But he had started on something he couldn't stop now. He drank it in one gulp. Link sat down and waited for nearly an hour. When he hadn't felt the effects of any poison by that time he got up and left the house.

"Swear to me one thing," he said to her neighbors. "Swear to me you won't bury her here. You will bury her in your own cemetery north of your true home."

"But that land is dangerous beyond compare now," he was told.

"It will be safe again. You have my word. My business shall be concluded soon."

Link strolled over to the edge of town where he found himself in front of a huge green wall. A secret at the edge of town, huh? Where? A spell that reveals things hidden by magic might be called for here.

"AROKA!"

Instantly a mound arose from the ground. The enormous mound had an entry large enough for a giant to enter. Link crept inside. He couldn't believe his eyes. He felt like jumping for joy. He had found a magic key! He knew immediately what it was. He had used one before. Nothing could stop him now.

At about three o'clock that day Link reached Three Eye Rock with a new determination soaring within him. It seemed ironic that his newly acquired spell wouldn't reveal what lay hidden there. He reached for his flute, but suddenly something occurred to him.

In nearby Kasuto, the old Oracle lay in his basement listening to the sounds of footsteps. He knew exactly who they belonged to.

"You knew, didn't you?" asked Link.

The old man didn't reply.

"You knew it was too late to get them out of there but you sent me anyway. Why?"

"Get them out of there?" replied the old man. "No. They needed hope. So many have fallen to despair. Now do you understand this terrible Cult?"

"I do," replied Link. "After Ganon's death his remaining minions were instructed by the Leader to act with a great show of force. They were to deceive the people into believing that the demons now had more power and greater numbers than ever before. It led the people to lose all hope. Ganon was dead. After all that effort and bloodshed that went into defeating him, it seemed his forces had only grown in strength. But it was all a lie. The monsters would have died out soon. But discouragement and despair fueled the evil. The Cult began. All the people had to do was hold on to hope and this could have been over already. That's what you wanted for your people."

"Yes," replied the old man. "The word is AFIERNA. Tell my son. I doubt I'll get a chance to see him before I die."

"Will you lose hope too?" asked Link.

"Don't leave just yet boy," said the old Oracle. "Stay a while and keep me company. Perhaps I'm not so invincible either."

"Who is?" replied Link. "I brought some more provisions. Better than what I could give you last time."

The next day Link arrived back at Three Eye Rock. He could only imagine what lay waiting for him in the last of Elezaar's palaces. But a far worse thought crossed his mind. The thought of what the world would become if he failed. It wasn't even noon yet and already the land was growing dark. Link blew his whistle and the Hidden Palace appeared instantly.

End Chapter 13


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

PALACE 6

The Hidden Palace was sort of a deep pink sandstone. Link was determined to take the most linear route through the palace. He knew he didn't need to go searching for keys now.

Link was relying almost completely on instinct now. The first floor seemed irrelevant since he didn't need keys. He took the elevator all the way to the bottom floor.

"AJIS!"

This first room that he had reached reminded him of the Island Palace somewhat with its high pedestals. The Reflect spell had been necessary due to the presence of Wizzrobes. It didn't hurt to have this spell activated to take on the nearby Doomknocker either. It felt great not to have to dodge hammers for once. Link was slightly more sympathetic to these Wizzrobes than to the Magos. In the case of the Wizzrobes, they had become puppets. Magos still had free will. You'd think by now the fact that so many elves had chosen to side with Ganon would have ceased to shock Link. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

To Link's dismay, the next passage contained not one, but two Blue Ironknuckles. This section of the palace was also home to the endless hole which he was not prepared to take just yet. It was tempting to drive the first Ironknuckle into the pit but he had a feeling it would only pop up again if he did.

The first Ironknuckle kept its shots high and he had no trouble defeating it. The second was hardly so generous. If only these things weren't so fast! Nobody can crouch, jump and stand, all in one second. And of course there's the blade itself. Link walked out with his legs cut up pretty bad but his pride was hurting him far worse.

Link traveled through a passage full of Wizzrobes and shooting statues. The ceiling was low in certain points. This was just an exercise in blocking, pure and simple.

The corridor led him to a portion of the palace that seemed EXACTLY like the Island palace. There was an Ironknuckle encased in brick, a guarded elevator, and a nearly identical layout. However, this time the hall that would have led him outside took him into a long hallway. This hall was full of Wizzrobes but the one thing that stood out about it was all the Ironknuckle statues on pedestals. If he didn't know better he could have sworn they were watching him.

"Yah!"

Well he hadn't seen THAT coming. A part of the floor only appeared to be real but was, in reality, a well-disguised hole dropping to the floor below. Well if Elezaar could conceal a fake wall it's hardly surprising that he could do the same with a floor. But this time it was magic, not an illusion.

The area Link had dropped to had nothing worthwhile waiting for him. His journey back up to the upper floor was unpleasant. Link fought his way through Ironknuckles, Skull Balls, Moas, Wizzrobes, Stalfos Knights and Doomknockers and he had done all that fighting in a grand total of only three rooms. By now Link had maximized all of his abilities. Back when he had first started his quest that area would have been the death of him easily. Now he had gotten through it without a scratch but not without a few close calls. As upset as he was about falling he had to be a little impressed with how skilled he had become. Well at least he hadn't gotten too far off course. The elevator took him right back to the section where he had first entered this area.

The second time around, Link was quite careful to jump over the area where he had fallen… oh crap he didn't jump far enough.

OK, the THIRD time around he made real darn sure to jump with the aid of magic over the entire section where he had fallen. If he had thought this place was reminiscent of the Island Palace before he would feel even more so in a moment.

Link wandered into a seemingly empty room only to walk smack dab into a force field. No! It couldn't be the guardian, could it? Already? Where were the drapes?

In rode his old friend the Mounted Ironknuckle. Questions would have to wait. In four hits he managed to knock the Ironknuckle off its horse and leapt back away from the rider. Was this a new one or had the old one been resurrected? The rider attacked, blades flying. Link was now much tougher than he had been the last time he fought this punk. While he wasn't quick enough to avoid the Sting spell completely he was easily fast enough to make sure those blades only nicked him. In a mere two hits the Ironknuckle was dead. As far as what lay ahead…

It had only been a treasury room! All that just to guard the Magic Cross. But then again… then again the key to surviving the Valley of Death was in Link's hand.

Link walked all the way back… oh not that damn hole again…

OK, Link fell down the hole AGAIN and THEN walked all the way back to... ta-da! Another hole! This one was the endless hole. Of course he took the time to grab a red jar from the statue up above before he jumped.

I suppose yelling "Geronimo" would have been absurd since Geronimo hadn't lived in that world. Link just bit his lip and jumped.

The first spot where he landed was useless. To his sides he found two dead ends with two Blue Ironknuckles he didn't need to fight and a P-Bag that he no longer had any use for. So he jumped again.

Hmm… well this hall seemed to lead somewhere but just to be safe he jumped down again to see what else he could find before he committed himself to a path.

Nope. Two more dead ends. Jump again.

Link finally felt the sensation of teleportation as he landed onto the spot he had jumped from in the first place. It felt like he had become the air itself. So this was what the Magos and Wizzrobes experienced. Well his path was certain now. He let himself fall two floors.

The passage he had reached contained a gate guarded by a Blue Ironknuckle. Link managed to slay it before it even had a chance to draw its sword.

The gate lead to a series of lava pits with Myus and a pack of Demon Heads flying all over. The prospect of falling head-first into lava once again was not one he relished. This time he wouldn't try to move until he had killed every enemy in the room. The Demon Heads required just a little patience and a stationary thrust. But when he turned to face the Myus he found his work had been done already. Not having eyes, they had accidentally jumped off the edge and landed in the lava.

As if fighting off a group of Wizzrobes wasn't challenging enough, Link also had to deal with an Ironknuckle in the next room. Link applied the Reflect spell and the very first Wizzrobe to die left a red jar behind. But a pack of strong enemies still remained. An interesting idea popped into Link's head.

"AFIERNA!"

Link's own spell nearly sent him flying. The air sizzled with a violent flash. Every single enemy in the room was killed at once.

"OH KICK ASS! I LOVE THIS FREAKING SPELL!"

This was great! If only he'd learned this spell earlier! No wonder those Moas left that old man alone. Something as weak as a Moa wouldn't even leave ashes behind if it got hit by that spell. Just one problem though. It drained Link of an enormous amount of magical endurance. Well he had a red jar right now but he might not be so fortunate down the line. But what a trump card!

The biggest lava pit Link had seen thus far lay waiting for him in the next room. And there was no way across. It was obvious the Fairy spell was needed. But a swarm of Skull Balls was flying all over the place. He'd be defenseless and there was no way he could dodge them all. Not with a fairy's speed, anyway. Since the last new spell he had tried had worked out so well, he was eager to try another one.

"AROKA!"

One of the Skull Balls turned into a Bot and fell to its death. Just one. Oh well.

"AGRA!"

Link couldn't travel as fast by flying as he could by running. He hated being slowed down like this. Even though he was a small and hard to hit target, the game of tag he had to play with these Skull Balls was unfathomably tough. The dripping red stuff from the ceiling didn't make matters easier. In fact I'm not sure he could have made it across without eliminating that first Skull Ball. The spell hadn't been a waste after all.

The path onto which Link emerged had no strong enemies but presented him with a choice. To take or not to take an elevator. Well he didn't need any more keys. But since when had there been an unnecessary elevator? On the other hand, he had seen tons of dead ends in the last palace. Time to rely on instinct again. Straight ahead. He could always go back, though the thought of wasting time was starting to bother him far more than usual.

"Not again!"

Link ran into another force field. And yet another Mounted Ironknuckle came charging. This time it put up more of a fight. At one point Link didn't jump quite right. He managed to just barely dodge the lance but the Ironknuckle itself crashed into him pretty hard and he was thrown several feet. But of course in the end it too fell to his sword. Not much to tell about that.

Link continued uneasily down the path. He came up to another gap. Up ahead he could see another one of those little dolls that the fairies had made sitting in a corner. It was comforting to see but impractical to get to. There wasn't enough room to jump and it was well guarded. But what about this pit? Well there was no way this thing would provide a never-ending fall like that gap earlier on but where would it lead? Only one way to find out. Link jumped. He had never had to make a split second decision like this in midair before but he could see the area where he would have landed and he could see a corridor to the east at the exact same moment. But which one? He had already avoided that bottom floor by not taking the elevator. Might as well stick to his decision.

"AGRA"

Link floated into the side corridor. He had been correct. Within moments he was standing in the guardian's lair. But once again, where was the guardian? There were three platforms above a pool of lava but no guardian. Link jumped onto the middle platform and looked around. Oh man, if this was another Mounted Ironknuckle he was really going to be pissed.  
Link turned around and was startled so badly that I'm pretty sure his heart really did skip a beat. He found himself staring straight into the face of Barba, an enormous dragon that had emerged from the lava without a sound. He had no time whatsoever to recover from his shock. The creature opened its mouth and blew a volley of fire at him. He had to jump out of the way.

There was no opportunity to counterattack. Barba immediately descended back into the lava.

"AFE"

"AJIS"

Link had a pretty good feeling his shield wouldn't stand up to Barba's fiery breath by itself. A moment later Barba appeared by the far right platform and launched another barrage at him. Link leapt over there to counterattack but didn't arrive in time. Barba ducked back into the lava. Now it was over to the left. Once again, by the time Link got there it was too late.

"Settle down," Link told himself. "You can't fight that thing it you take a tumble into the lava trying to get to it. Let it come to you"

Link waited on the center platform. Barba appeared to the side twice more. Link didn't move from his spot. He just blocked the fire coming his way. Finally Barba came up right next to him. Link eagerly slashed at its throat. No good. A dragon's neck is often well-protected by tough scales. Link should have realized that. The head. It had to be the head.  
Link blocked another volley with his shield. As Barba descended, Link slashed its head. Worked like a charm. Right away, Barba popped up on the other side of the same platform. Link upward thrusted and nailed it pretty good.

Something was wrong. It wouldn't die. Link was at his strongest and Barba didn't seem phased. Was Barba that tough? Oh yes. Hit after hit it took and kept coming at him. One wrong move meant certain death for Link. Now he wished it had been another Ironknuckle. How long could this thing hold out?

"OW"

Barba had managed to surprise him. Link's back had been horribly burned but the force of the blast very nearly knocked him to his death. The pain was bad but he'd been through worse. Barba rose up right in front of him to finish him off. Though it hurt more than he could bear, Link jumped up, the seared flesh tearing in the process, and stabbed Barba one more time. He collapsed to the ground.

Barba was dead, Link could barely move, and somewhere in Southern Hyrule, preparations were being made for war. It had begun.

End Chapter 14


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

First of all his name was Lon. The old Oracle had not been given the name of Kasuto. He had an older brother and the family magic was supposed to have been passed on to the elder son as was the woman who ended up being Lon's wife. What his brother might have been was hardly relevant. He hadn't had the patience for the proper study of magic.

Lon's brother had accidentally ended his own life and killed two friends of his by screwing up an ancient and complicated chant that even his father wouldn't have attempted. This is why Link had been taught only one-word spells. He had picked up the best this field of magic had to offer. The more complicated spells take years of training as well as an understanding of science.

Lon's father had been so grief stricken at the loss of his favorite son that he renounced magic forever. Lon grew up without love or direction from the man he called father. His grandfather had been the one who helped lead him through life. He learned to be self-reliant at a young age. He was taught and firmly believed in a lack of conventionalism for the sake of conventionalism. When he himself married and had twelve children, he was to them the devoted father he himself had never had. And he named none of his boys Kasuto. The one who ended up his heir in magic and the Oracle of New Kasuto was named Elan.

If it sounds a little like I'm eulogizing Lon that's because I am. He was not far from death. Link had raced back to New Kasuto to fetch Elan. The two were now on their way back to Old Kasuto to see if the old man still drew breath. Now Link could see the Moas on the street as clear as day even when Elan could not.

"Papa!"

It had been ages since father and son had been together. Oh, had that reunion only been a happier occasion! Such a noble and proud man Lon had been in life. Here was a man who had willingly risked his life and lost his eyesight fighting for the lives of his neighbors. And here he was at the end of his life lying on the floor of a cold stone basement in his own filth covered with a few ratty blankets.

"Link, give me the Cross," said Lon weakly. Link complied at once. "Oh treasure of treasures. I can see. Nothing is hidden to the one who grasps this cross."

Lon sighed deeply and smiled. "Hello sonny boy."

"Hey dad."

"Been a while since I've seen your face, Elan. You're getting old."

"I know dad."

"How are my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?"

"They're all fine. Every single one of them."

"You lie. It's alright. Don't tell me. In all the evil that's happened I know some of them must have faced misfortune. I gave the secret of the Thunder spell to this one and yet I have never taught it to you. Are you angry?"

"No papa. I learned to walk my own path as you did. I have developed my own way."

"You will have to walk that way a long time, my son. Don't stop walking just because the times become hard. Even if this young man wins it all today, tomorrow things will still be hard."

"I will."

"I know. You probably didn't even need me to tell you that. The word is AFIERNA. Pass it on. Not all traditions are without meaning. Link?"

"Yes sir?"

"Take this. This is a diagram of a direct route through the Great Palace. Without this you would become hopelessly lost. It is my last gift to you. Small compensation for bringing me my son."

"Dad…"

"I love you son…. Hmmm…. My joints hurt. Think it means we'll get some rain?"

With that a magnificent life ended. Elan was grief-stricken beyond words but shed not a tear. "You're right. Not all traditions are without merit."

Softly, Elan sang an old song of mourning his people had passed on for generations. It was a song traditionally reserved for the time after a battle in which the victorious dead were honored. But his father had passed through the greatest fight of all and had not perished.

"I'm so sorry," said Link not to Elan, but to the body of Lon. "I need this." He picked up the Magic Cross which had fallen from the old man's hand when he expired. "By rights you should have been buried with this, old man," he whispered softly.

Link turned to Elan. "I have to finish what I started. Now. Time is running out. There was but one hour of daylight today."

Elan merely nodded in reply. He watched sadly as Link climbed the stairs out of the basement. But he understood the excitement and the dread of what was about to transpire. This was it! Today had to be the day.

The Valley of Death is a misleading term. It's actually a series of valleys surrounded by jagged rocks. Ganondorf must have felt right at home in such an uninviting place. It was like walking into hell. There was certainly an abundance of fire and brimstone as far as the eye could see.

No path existed in this terrible place that any mage had enchanted. The enemy roamed freely everywhere. And without the Cross, Link wouldn't have had a chance, for the majority of the enemy consisted of Moas. These latest Moas were blue in color. They were more efficient attackers than their red or orange counterparts and could take two hits before dying.

Onward! Onward through legions of Moas, Eyes, and Lizalfos.

No light penetrated the evil dank which rested upon this place. It didn't matter. The sun would not shine its light again until the deed was done.

Miles away in the Southern Kingdom, the Cult had finally made its move. A boy king of twelve in a kingdom that was no longer united could not possibly defend his land. Especially without his greatest knight. Ships of these foul traitors reached the shores of Hyrule under the cover of darkness and immediately began attacking the local villages.

The very idea of leaving young Fabian on the throne was a testimony to the inherent flaw in monarchies. Fabian himself could not be talked out of directly participating in battle. Tender though his years may have been, Fabian had always been a good eavesdropper. When he hadn't been picking fights with Zelda (which always resulted in him getting slapped upside the head by Impa) he'd be spying on his father and his council (which, if he was caught always resulted in him getting slapped upside the head by his father). One thing his father's conversations had taught him was that a king can never stay behind while his generals march into the field of battle and win all the glory. Good way to get overthrown.

Onto the field of battle young Fabian XVI led the royal army of Hyrule. Three thousand of his men against a little more than twenty-five hundred of the enemy. And now all swords were drawn. The enemy was in sight. Fabian's generals screamed out last minute words of encouragement to their troops. A couple of cowards upon seeing the enemy tried to turn and run. They had been shot down with arrows by their own troops before they had gotten fifteen feet.

And now the fight was on! Fabian's troops took early command of the battle. Hyrulian archers are the deadliest in the entire world and among them young Fabian himself was the best. What else would you expect from royal blood?

But no sooner had the tide seemed to turn in Fabian's favor than the enemy sprung its trap. Legions of demons had remained at a distance unseen before the battle. In the chaos and confusion they had gotten close enough to surround the Hyrulian troops.

Shouts of joy suddenly arose from the ranks of Fabian's troops. Ships had arrived from the Western Islands. This time they had not abandoned Hyrule. Victory was at hand! The archers from the west took their places. They took aim…

NO!

It couldn't be! How could they?

The very first arrow launched struck Fabian and it hadn't been an accident. These vile creatures from the west were as they always had been: without one shred of virtue or honor. THEY HAD SIDED WITH GANON! And of course they had made darn sure to poison the tips of their arrow heads and blades, a practice forbidden in the generally accepted rules of war in those days.

Every Hyrulian soldier was now outnumbered four to one. And they didn't have the Triforce of Power with them either. As per Fabian's instructions, the two Triforces had been secretly transferred to the North Palace a few days before in response to Impa's secret correspondence via carrier pigeon.

But never under any circumstances play dirty when dealing with Hyrulian soldiers. They were outraged beyond words and took their fury out on the enemy. Perhaps this wasn't to be such a mismatch after all.

The rocks grew hotter as Link trudged onward. This area wasn't volcanic. There seemed no reasonable explanation as to why there was all this lava. There was no sunlight here. Link depended completely on his candle and the glow of the lava. Towers of glowing red rocks surrounded him on the sides.

Enemies were now attacking Link almost constantly. He could barely walk ten feet without running into a swarm of Moas. Every so often he would encounter Lizalfos as well. Now Link had a slight advantage over these freaks. Every time he faced one it was at a time when he was standing on a slightly higher piece of rock. If he squatted he could nail them right between the eyes. His position seemed to confuse them and they couldn't block him in time.

And now there was a large cave dead ahead. Link was surprised not to see any Aches but so far he hadn't encountered any of those things on this part of the island. So far the cave had presented him with no new challenges. Just Eyes and Moas. There was a Scorpion up ahead. Link hated these things. They were well-protected by a thick exoskeleton and only their eyes were vulnerable but often they kept their eyes closed.

Of course. It had all been too easy so naturally something had to come along and screw it up. Link had seen Orange and Red Lizalfos so it was logical to assume Blue Lizalfos existed but he had hoped not to run into one. No such luck. It's unlikely there was a better swordsman alive than Link but this thing gave him a run for his money. It was armed with Doomknocker hammers. Link could handle that but it also had a shield with which it was quite skillful. And even when he landed a hit, the Lizalfos had great endurance. To make matters worse, it seemed to know about his jump and slash strategy and positioned itself well to deal with it. It was like fighting a guardian. Already he was forced to use up a Reflect spell. But wait…

"AROKA!"

Aw crap, it didn't work. And now he had wasted another spell. Link tried to fake it out but it didn't flinch. But with one last jump timed just right he nailed it. Well perhaps it didn't have quite the endurance level he thought it would.

Link found himself back outside. No need to shield his eyes like he usually did when leaving a cave. There was no light to adjust to.

Determination will only take you so far. The Hyrulians were now getting the raw end of the deal. The reason for bringing about the darkness in the sky was clear now. Wizzrobes didn't seem capable of handling sunlight. An entire division of Wizzrobes and Magos was weaving in and out among Fabian's troops. Demons Link had encountered in both quests were everywhere.

Fabian himself was tough for a kid. An arrow dipped in poison had nailed him in the gut but he refused to die. A sympathetic fairy had been able to heal the wound but she couldn't do anything about the poison. They had given him every sort of neutralizing agent they could think of but nothing worked.

"I'm glad Link decked that piece of crap at the wedding," he muttered. "I hope he's here. I hope one of our guys takes his head. How's the battle going?"

"It would going a lot better if not for the Wizzrobes, sire," replied one of his generals.

"I think the poison's wearing off," said Fabian. "I can feel my legs again."

"You're not going to try to get back into the fight, are you?"

"I only said I could FEEL my legs," replied Fabian. "I don't think I could stand up just yet. Good."

"Good, sire?"

"That means I won't die. I always knew I'd die on my feet and not lying down," replied Fabian. "Aw hell, I don't really know that, but it sounds cool."

Meanwhile, forces from the north were desperately trying to reach Fabian in time. The Death Mountain range, however, was going to be quite an obstacle. The paths were narrow and only one mounted fighter at a time could pass through.

"STOP!"

At the sound of one voice, every single horse obeyed the command and ignored their riders. The makeshift army was brought to a standstill. In front of them stood Impa, accompanied by Marcellus and his people. No one from the north was given an opportunity to object.

"Don't waste your time trying to cross!" she shouted. "You'd never get there in time. You have come to our aid here in the last battle of out time and the hour for all barriers between us to be destroyed has struck. Victory shall be ours today!"

Impa got off her horse and walked up to the mountain while the troops looked on. She knelt down, closed her eyes, and formed her fingertips in the shape of the Triforce. She murmured some words for a moment and stood straight up. She looked over her should for a moment and smiled. Then she turned back to the mountain.

"AIE!"

The center portion of the mountain range blew to bits. The pieces hovered in midair until they reached the sea and then dropped.

With a deafening shout, the army charged through.

The next pass through the Valley of Death was much shorter but more vicious. The monsters were everywhere. Never before had they behaved in a more ruthless manner. A terrible wind blasted Link with such force that it made it very hard for him to move forward.

Countless Moas soared at Link. The heat was more intense. And now it seemed as if gravity itself was against him as everything seemed heavier. His sword and shield seemed to weigh a ton.

Link struggled against the wind and entered one last cave. Two Lizalfos, one Red and one Blue lay waiting. His quest almost over, Link refused to yield here at the end of the road.

"AJIS!"

With an unusual level of aggression, Link tore through both of them with lightning speed.

And now the road was at an end. All sound and light had ceased. Link was standing in front of the Great Palace. The evil aura of this place was infinitely worse than Link had expected. It was horrifying.

The arrival of reinforcement did not result in quite the panic for the Cult forces that Impa had hoped for. But it was certainly a welcome arrival for the Southern Hyrlulians.

A column of Lynels was quickly organized and charged straight at the newcomers. Like the Blue Ironknuckles, Lynels could use the Sting spell and before they had even reached the army, several soldiers had fallen. A massive group of Leevers sprung up from the ground trying to dismount the riders. The enemy had underestimated Hyrulian horses. The Leevers were trampled.

Impa ignored the fighting. She weaved in and out between fighters, her mind on only one thing.

"Fabian!"

She had found him at last. Quickly she pulled a vial out of her robes and made him drink.

"Impa, where's Link?" he asked.

"First tell me if you can stand up yet," she ordered. In reply he stood up. "You're doing your job and Link is doing his. Cross your fingers. Tell me your highness, would it be unprofessional for a mighty king in the midst of a great battle to hug his old nurse?"

Fabian smiled and embraced the old woman.

"I've returned to you at last, child," she murmured. "Fabian, brace yourself. I have something to tell you about your sister."

The forces from the Western Islands were unfazed by the new arrivals. Zelda had sadly played right into the Cult's hands. Having the princess of Hyrule murder the reigning monarch of those islands was the only excuse these people needed to join the war on the side of Ganon.

At the present moment, their chief general had just been knocked off his horse. He was a little bruised but not injured. He easily slew three Hyrulians.

"Is this all they have?" he gloated. "Is this all they can do? No wonder these pathetic idiots were so easily enslaved by Ganon. I'm going to enjoy conquering this land. First thing I'll do is feed a few Hyrulian children to my dogs."

"I wouldn't underestimate the kids around here, jackass," said a voice from behind him. It was Fabian.

"Why do you have tears in your eyes boy?" sneered the general. "Seeing a battle too frightening for a child? Don't worry. It will be the last battle you ever see."

You and I both know why he had tears in his eyes. Fabian wouldn't dignify that remark with a response. Both swords were drawn. The height, strength, weight, and experience all went to the general. But then again, he hadn't just learned that his sister had been killed.

Impa watched helplessly as Fabian and the general traded blows. She almost wished she hadn't helped him now. If he couldn't walk, he couldn't have gotten into this fight.

Fabian and Marcellus were now fighting back to back against seemingly superior foes on the field of battle. Marcellus could see from the reflection on his sword that it was Fabian who was fighting behind him. He lunged forward and killed his opponent. He reached behind him and touched Fabian's neck. In a flash of light, he transferred the thrust ability to the young king as he had done with Link.

When the general finally managed to disarm Fabian (which was inevitable) and cocked his arm back to deliver the death stroke, Fabian went for his dagger and jumped straight up. He flew down faster than an eagle and drove the knife into the general's head.

The rumors over the battlefield spread like wildfire. Princess Zelda was dead and the Cult and the Western Islanders were both responsible. The furious troops from north and south fought the enemy like there was no tomorrow. The bad guys were gonna pay dearly for this. The tide of the battle had turned.

End Chapter 15


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 

THE GREAT PALACE

The magical force fields in front of the Great Palace disappeared as Link approached. He had to hand it to Elezaar. The trouble he had gone through just to keep the Triforce safe was amazing. But it was Link who had endured the real trouble. Now only a few more demons and one last guardian stood between Link and everything his heart desired.

This palace was yellow in color. Why? It was made of sulfur. Magic kept it structurally sound. The smell was bad enough to make Link seriously consider cutting his own nose off. Not only that but the internal temperature of the palace was over 105 degrees. The gravity was more intense making everything much heavier. What kind of masochistic fruitcake must Ganondorf have been to take up residence in a place like this?

Lon had given Link something more valuable than gold. This map told Link exactly where to go. Lon had been correct when he warned Link just how huge this place was and that he wouldn't have had a chance without a map.

The elevator took Link to the first floor. Have you by any chance ever heard the squawk of a peacock? That's the sound Link was hearing now. Nope, no peacock, just a demon that sounded like one. Link was immediately confronted with an enemy he'd never seen before. It was a Firebird. The name pretty much describes it. It reminded him of a cross between a Mago and a Troll. It certainly had a lot of energy and it was spraying fire all over the place. A thrust was out of the question. Not using Reflect wasn't an option either. The fireballs were surprisingly mobile and long-lasting.

Link tried to duck in and stab so that the fireballs would fly over his head. The only problem with that strategy was that he had to be alert. Some of the fireballs actually bounced on impact (if you can imagine fire bouncing) and came right back in his direction. He also had to be careful not to let this flaming hot bird bump into him. He felt like he had to stab the bloody thing ten times before it died. It would have been nice if someone had warned him that Firebirds have three hearts.

A mere few feet to the west and Link had another unpleasant surprise. He fell through the floor (yup, another concealed hole) and straight down into a group of Bots. As if that wasn't bad enough, these things were also much tougher than he would have expected. They could take a licking and keep on… well you get the idea. I don't need to infringe any copyrights here. Even worse, they would reappear after he'd killed them if he tried to walk away. That gave him an idea.

"ARSTA!"

Link spent the next several minutes barbecuing Bots and managed to pick up enough Blue Jars to replenish all the magic he had used up in the Valley of Death. He freed himself from the area by breaking through some bricks and then climbed back up, careful not to fall through the floor again.

The next elevator deposited Link at what appeared to be an abandoned floor. As he headed east, he encountered no enemy for quite some time. Well if something's too good to be true, it probably is. Another Firebird was waiting for him. Once again, Link was in for another nasty fight with this hyperactive opponent. This time it was a little easier to defeat. Somehow he managed to back it up against the elevator shaft and stab away. Firebirds rely on mobility. Even then it took an enormous amount of stabbing to vanquish it. But what was that up above the shaft?

In a place from which he would have expected to see an Ironknuckle statue came a frightening omen. It was a statue of another bird. This one was dressed in armor and had a long, sharp beak and razor sharp talons. So this was what was to be found here instead of Ironknuckles. Link had terrible images in his mind of what sort of skills these things might have.

Things only got worse when he took the elevator downstairs. It was now getting more difficult to breathe. Demon Heads swarmed through a room with brick barriers. They would never stop appearing and it took multiple hits to kill each one. The real misery was to be found in the next hallway.

"SQUAWK!"

"What the hell was that?" (getting to be a catchphrase, eh?)

Link was up against an enemy of enormous skill; a Dreadhawk. This was what he had seen represented above the elevator shaft; a species of carnivorous bird demon older than Hyrule itself. It had the strength of ten men and the agility of a Moa. Like the Blue Ironknuckles, it could use the Sting spell. Unlike the Ironknuckles, it could jump. Heck, it could jump twice as skillfully as Link. And it was very fast and very aggressive and extremely skilled with a shield. The usual Ironknuckle strategy probably wouldn't work on a creature like this. And it was too fast with its shield for Link to land a hit. What part of it was vulnerable? He had to think fast. Though it hadn't injured him yet, it was throwing the full weight of its body against his shield. With gravity itself affected, he couldn't withstand even this.

Suddenly Link had an idea. He tried his best to feign a full frontal assault to force the Dreadhawk into an area with a higher ceiling. Sure enough, it began to jump over Link's head. That was all he needed. He started to upthrust whenever it jumped. The creature couldn't seem to guard against that very well and after a couple hits, it was dead.

No. No way. It couldn't have possibly been that easy. There had to be a catch. Of course! This thing had been red. Link was terrified at the idea of facing a Blue Dreadhawk after seeing what a red one could do.

The next elevator ride seemed to take forever. Link was being taken way down into the depths of the palace. Now the air actually became colder but even still it was harder to breathe. By the time the elevator touched down Link was freezing. In fact it was so cold that he was almost relieved to see that there was yet another Firebird lying in wait. Fire! Warm!

But wait, things were about to get even more amusing. The passage ahead featured not only new and improved Demon Heads, but new and improved Ropes as well. Link set himself up to block a stone only to find out that these things spit fire instead. He had to leap at the last minute to avoid the fiery blast that his shield couldn't handle. Another Dreadhawk statue sat atop the elevator shaft. This one had a glowing slot. No way. No way on earth would he risk it. If this thing came to life the results could be deadly.

Never mind. The elevator took him straight into a passage with a Blue Dreadhawk anyway. Link quickly cut through the bricks and Bots in front of him so as not to be trapped. This new Dreadhawk was deadly beyond words. It was unfathomably aggressive and took quite a few more hits than its red counterpart. Link couldn't possibly block all of its attacks. He could barely keep up. He just kept swinging and thrusting at any movement while this thing jumped circles around him. It was a pathetic thing to watch. By the time the battle was over about the only good thing he could say was that he'd protected anything vital. Every other part of him was cut up. This was another one of those situations where he really should have healed himself but was afraid to waste magic. Now that the temperature was reaching frigid levels, the last thing he needed was to lose too much blood.

The pathway to the next elevator was not at all well-guarded. But the elevator had taken him into a room with drapes. The guardian couldn't have come so soon, could it? Nope. There was a Firebird and a… What was that? It was like a Skull Ball but several times larger and slower. The skull inside seemed to be that of some sort of monster long since extinct in this land. Thankfully it wasn't tough to beat on account of its size and low speed but Link could just imagine what would happen if that thing had hit him.

"Oh crap, not again!"

Yup, another Blue Dreadhawk was all too pleased to greet Link up ahead. Ganondorf must have had a thing for birds. Under ideal circumstances, Link was very agile himself. But now he was injured and half-frozen and his sword weighed over thirty-five pounds due to the modified gravity. His shield was so heavy that it was useless. His own body was heavier too.

Link threw down his shield and gripped his sword with two hands. He wasn't used to fighting like this. The ecstatic Dreadhawk launched three Stings in Link's direction. While he was busy blocking them with the flat of the sword, the Dreadhawk flew straight at him at a speed of over two hundred miles per hour. It sliced the side of his head so quickly that Link had no chance whatsoever to react at all. Not all the Stings had reached him yet.

The Dreadhawk squawked at him in a manner that would almost seem like trash talk. Link felt his anger rise again and he was quite certain that if he gave in, this creature would be dead within seconds. But no. The price was too costly. No way would he compromise himself just to beat a six foot tall barnyard fowl.

Link held his sword out straight at his side. The Dreadhawk cocked its head from side to side as if it were trying to figure out what Link was up to. Link began to fling the sword around wildly in a figure eight pattern. The Dreadhawk tried to use the Sting again only to have its shots knocked out of the air. Faster and faster the sword twirled in its broad figure eight. The Dreadhawk lunged…

"AFIERNA!"

The smell of burnt feathers filled the room. The Dreadhawk had to extinguish itself. It was coughing hard. Obviously the spell had badly injured it even though it had survived. In a fit of anger it lunged again. Without ever stopping the figure eight motion, Link merely turned and sidestepped it, flinging his arms and hips back towards the bird as it passed. It was decimated by his blade.

Link was exhausted and collapsed onto the floor. As he had grown stronger, his senses had become sharper too. Oh boy! He could hear a fairy down in the elevator shaft! He picked himself up off the floor with great difficulty. The Dreadhawk had left behind a red jar. His lips were cut so badly that it was extremely painful trying to drink its contents.

The fairy was ecstatic to see Link. "You're almost there!" she shouted after healing him. "We left a gift for you on the opposite side of the shaft. Don't stop now."

The gift she spoke of was another doll. Link hoped he wouldn't have to use it but he was thrilled to have it.

For one of the first times in this palace, Link had to head west. The Firebird in his way was a mere inconvenience. He could now deal with these things more efficiently. But the room up ahead scared him. It wasn't because the enemies were tough, but because he thought he was lost. According to his map this room contained a passage to the lower portion of the palace but he saw nothing. Nothing but bricks. Maybe…

Link stabbed wildly at the bricks. Brick after brick vanished but no passage. But suddenly as Link hit one more, he found himself falling. The floor had been false.

The fall had been startling enough but Link very nearly jumped out of his skin when he tried to proceed down the hall. A Bot twice the size of your average polar bear fell from the ceiling right in front of him. Link screamed out loud. The large Bot bounced after him as if it wanted to eat him. As soon as he stabbed it, the large Bot erupted into several small Bots. Good. He needed one more blue jar. But these Bots were the toughest he'd ever seen. They could take quite a beating. No matter. He got what he came for.

Link headed east over another disappearing bridge. Sure enough, in the center was a pit, the pit that would take him to the end of his quest. Link fell through to the final area.

This wasn't like any other guardian room he had ever encountered. There were no drapes, just a set of columns and a platform. The cold and gravity that had plagued him throughout the palace were gone now. Well this was it!

"AGDA!"

"AFE!"

"AJIS!"

"OK, bring it on!"

And on it was brought. In flew Thunderbird, raining down fire. It looked like a giant flying Aztec god. This was somewhat of an inactive guardian. It hovered around the room in a pattern and dropped fireballs but displayed no other movement or aggression. Link's initial attacks proved futile. Thunderbird was covered with a thick armored plate and nothing Link did could shatter it.

"AFIERNA!"

Well almost nothing. The plate shattered revealing a very unpleasant freak of nature with big jaws. Link made several attempts at an attack on any part of its body he could reach. But even now his efforts were futile.

Well, so many guardians before it were vulnerable to head wounds when nothing else had affected them. BINGO! Link jumped up and slashed at its head. Oddly enough, Thunderbird actually made a vain attempt to bite him. But Link's blade hit its target and Thunderbird was affected. Try as he might, Link couldn't seem to injure Thunderbird with an upward thrust. He had to stick to a jump and slash technique which was far less convenient but quite effective.

As Link inflicted more and more damage, the creature spewed forth more and more fire. Link suffered a couple second-degree burns but at this point he wouldn't be stopped. He was so close! Just a little more…

BOOM!

With one final hit Thunderbird was dead.

"YES! Thank God, at long last!"

Link gleefully ran down the hall giggling like a schoolgirl. Sure enough, there was the Triforce of Courage sitting upon a high shelf being guarded by a small ghost.

"Hi. How ya doing?" said Link to the ghost. "I'd like to introduce myself. The Chosen One, at your service. I've come for my prize."

The ghost smiled. "Greetings traveler! I am the guardian spirit of the Triforce. Only he who was meant to have this power could have come so far. I can finally be at rest for at last you have… LOOK OUT!"

The ghost grabbed the Triforce and vanished.

"Your prize? You mean my prize. I don't need you anymore."

Where had that voice come from? The room flashed and a truly shocking thing occurred, shocking even compared to every other strange thing Link had been through. As the room flashed, Link's own shadow jumped from his side. Link howled in pain. It felt exactly as if he'd been ripped in half. But the pain only lasted for an instant. He felt light. He felt free. He felt better than he had in a long time. As for the shadow, it took its place nearby and became three dimensional, if you can picture three dimensional darkness.

"I assume I need no introduction," said the shadow.

"Um… no, actually you need a lot of introduction," replied Link. "Who are you?"

"Tell me Link, does your lady love know the truth about you?"

Link's heart nearly stopped at those words.

"What was that like?" continued the shadow. "Must have been rather satisfying."

"Shut up."

"They think you're a hero."

"Shut up!"

"If anyone knew the truth you'd be ruined."

"SHUT UP!"

"The only reason you ever came to Hyrule was because you were running. You were on the run from a posse from your village and it wasn't safe to stay there any more. And you know why they were chasing you. Go on, say it."

Link trembled angrily. "I killed my father. He was an abusive drunk who beat the hell out of me and my mother and by the time I was fourteen I couldn't take it anymore. It was a mistake. He was fast asleep at the time. I had no justification at the moment that I took his life. There, are you happy? I'm a murderer! I killed my father and my life was nearly ruined because of it."

"You mean the man you called father," replied the shadow with a laugh. "The real story is far more interesting."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh you're going to love this. Where to begin? Well, it seems that a certain queen of Hyrule wasn't quite so hot for her husband as you might have thought but she sure took a shine to his gorgeous young butler. And soon enough, OOPS she had a kid with this guy. And both she and her husband had blue eyes and the kid's eyes were brown so no chance the kid was his. Well this created quite a fuss as you might imagine. The butler was hanged, the queen got a beating, and the baby… well the baby was tossed down a shallow well. You've had a lot of hip pain throughout your life, haven't you? Your hip hurts right this second, doesn't it?"

Link was shocked but the shadow continued. "Well one of the Queen's ladies in waiting felt sorry for the little bastard. She rescued him from the well and then secretly sent him off on a boat headed for the Western Islands and told the sailors to give the kid to any couple they met who wanted a child. Shame they picked the town drunk, isn't it?"

"You're full of crap!" shouted Link.

"No, I assure you every word is true. Which brings me to the most amusing part of this tale. Zelda was your sister! You had a romance with your own sister and didn't even have a clue! Oh my gosh, that's funny!"

"LIAR!"

"Oh, and even better… YOU KILLED HER!"

At this point the shadow began to laugh hysterically. Link furiously lunged at it but it jumped out of the way.

"So you see, you are of royal blood after all, just like Elezaar said. You just aren't from HIS particular bloodline. Think about it, it makes perfect sense. Every word is true and if you had done enough snooping you would have come to this conclusion yourself."

"Who are you?" screamed Link.

"Me? Oh, no one very import. Death, darkness, despair, that pretty much sums up who I am. And for a while now, I've been part of you. Remember Darunia?"

"That was you! You possessed me?"

"Now you get it. Give the boy a prize. Yeah dumbass. When you were asleep, I'd take control. I could always communicate telepathically with the Cult but when you were asleep I could take over your body."

"And when I was awake?"

"I stayed conveniently tucked away in your shadow while the darkness in your heart gave me strength. But I was very good at giving you a few rather interesting suggestions. At first I just tempted you starting on the day the crest appeared. Your reaction to the attack on Impa was one of my favorites. 'Oh no granny, don't die! NO! Bad Saria! You die now!' Oh that was precious. You nearly went off to wipe out a whole village. But once you crossed the sea to the island, well that's when I actually possessed you. You remember me grabbing you off the raft, don't you? And we've been two peas in a pod since."

"Why reveal yourself now?"

"Why? Amusement mostly. You see boy… now how can I explain this to you… ah yes, you are about to die. You see, I needed you to get me to the Triforce. After a while I figured you'd make it here alive no matter what we threw at you so I just waited. My master may have underestimated you but I won't. I'm sure you understand what happens now. You die, I revive Lord Ganon with your blood, we take one Triforce, in a matter of time, we take all three, I get my body back."

"Your body back?"

"Ah yes, sadly I am currently unable to assume physical form after my rather untimely death at the hands of Elezaar's son."

"Agahnim!"

"Oh you guessed. Smart lad. Yes. Time to die!"

This fight was unlike any other Link had been through. Agahnim was ruthless. What a magnificent fighter! Since he was a shadow image of Link, he had all of Link's moves and Link was the best swordsman in all the land. Having not been given the thrust techniques himself, Agahnim couldn't use them. But he could easily block them if Link tried to use one. He couldn't use magic either without a body. But Link was sure none of his own spells would affect Agahnim anyway.

The two viciously traded blows for over a minute but since their techniques were identical, neither one could land a hit. But fighting that hard is exhausting. Link grew tired and without a body, Agahnim had no such problem. He slashed at Link, cutting his forehead quite badly. Link tried to wipe the blood out of his eyes.

"You're slowing down boy! Getting tired already? Is that all you've got?"

Agahnim slashed again and cut Link's arm. But just then, Link quickly landed a blow. Then another. Then another. "Now who's slowing down?" he jeered.

"Why you insolent brat! I'll teach you how to talk to me!" Agahnim lunged and his blade hit the far left side of Link's abdomen. He hadn't hit anything vital or any major blood vessels but Link was in agony.

Link jumped up and went into his thrust pose. At the last second he switched up into a normal stab and caught Agahnim off guard. The trick worked so well he tried it again. Same result. But now Agahnim was coming at him hard. Link found himself backed up against the force field. In a panic he started swinging and stabbing wildly. And now Agahnim had to get out of the way but not quickly enough. Link nailed him pretty good. Unfortunately the flat of Agahnim's sword had hit one of his burns and now he was really hurting.

Agahnim charged again. Link decided to keep his position with his back against the force field. Striking from a defensive standpoint seemed to work. Agahnim's shield didn't cover any more of his body than Link's. Link nailed him right on the top of his head. Agahnim stumbled back.

The two stared each other down for a few moments. Suddenly, Agahnim threw down his shield and held his blade up. "Let's end this. Now."

"So be it," replied Link, throwing down his own shield.

With a wild shout the two adversaries rushed at each other with lightening speed. At the last possible moment, Link threw himself down into a somersault and ducked Agahnim's blade in the process. He turned and viciously stabbed…

Agahnim never had a chance to give any parting words. He seemed to fall through the floor. It was over. A moment later, the ghost reappeared with the Triforce and handed it to Link without so much as a word before disappearing.

At the same moment that Agahnim had been defeated, the light of day returned to the sky. Every single Wizzrobe perished immediately and the Magos were blinded. The Cult followers all seemed to understand what it meant.

"LONG LIVE GANON!" they shouted in unison and before anyone had a chance to react, they all committed mass suicide right there on the field of battle. The Western army and the demons were no match without their help. The Western king surrendered to Fabian. The demons fought to the last but were all slain.

"At last," whispered Impa. She was too emotional to even speak and just stood there in silence while the Hyrulian soldiers from both sides of Death Mountain celebrated and embraced.

Miles away from all the chaos, the Triforce had summoned a whirlwind which had transported Link to the basement of the North Palace. With everyone out at the battle, Link was all alone. Well, not quite.

Link walked up to the altar and held up the Triforce of Courage. The Triforces of Wisdom and Power floated off the floor and all three Triforces surrounded Zelda. There was a brilliant flash.

After centuries of sleep, Zelda, Princess of the original Kingdom of Hyrule woke up and smiled at Link.

You'd think he'd be overjoyed. But a sadness and fear filled him. He had murdered his father. He'd made a mess of everything. He had nearly killed Impa and had every intention of doing so. Surely she must have known.

"I told you I watched you throughout your WHOLE life, not just parts of it," she said.

"Can you read my mind?" asked Link.

"I can read your heart," she replied. "Link, I love you. I don't care if you've made mistakes. We all have setbacks but it's only when we stop trying or even embrace those setbacks that we die inside. Why can't you even look at me? Don't you love me? Haven't you wanted this moment with all your heart for so long?"

"YES! It's just that you're so…. And I'm so… Oh, what can I say here?"

"Did you know I'm a compulsive nail-biter?" she asked. "The problem was when you were in that coma you only got to see the good side of me and that's what you fell in love with. But I hope you won't be repulsed by all MY shortcomings. Did you think I was perfect? Oh you big beautiful dummy, I love you so much…"

Zelda practically tackled him. They didn't have sex but that had to have been the best make-out session Link had ever experienced in his short life.

EPILOGUE

Link seemed to defy the laws of science. Never once did he ever again cast a shadow for the rest of his life.

In the months that followed, Hyrule had the difficult task of rebuilding. Again. As predicted, life would still not be a cakewalk. As long as you draw breath, life presents itself with new trials.

The two nations never did reunite. The people of Northern Hyrule had no desire to live under the rule of Southern Hyrule. Even though they respected Fabian they were quite aware of the problems that having a twelve year old monarch would have presented. And there were the cultural differences that had developed in their two societies as well. But they agreed that the system of chieftains hadn't worked. A northern kingdom was called for. After Link and Zelda had married (which happened about twelve hours after she woke up) they begged them to take up residence in the North Palace and reign as their king and queen. And they said no. At first.

Link knew what his destiny had led him to, and yet he certainly didn't feel he had the qualifications to be a leader. Never before had he been so mistaken. Link turned out to be an amazingly good ruler. He and Zelda reigned throughout many hard times but the state always came out of it OK. They had five children, two of whom helped establish a new nation on a set of islands a few hundred miles west of Hyrule.

One of the toughest decisions Link had to make as a monarch or as a person was not the least bit political. He had to decide what to say or not to say to Fabian. I don't know if you would agree with his conclusions but in the end he kept his mouth shut. In fact he told no one, not even Impa. Zelda knew of course, but no one else. Why have Fabian lose respect for his parents? Why scar him by letting him learn that his sister had unknowingly had a romantic relationship with her own half-brother? Link had been traumatized enough himself by that little news bulletin. He could still be a big brother to him without Fabian learning the truth.

Fabian turned out to be a pretty good ruler himself. Of course having Impa as his Chancellor helped him a great deal, especially when he was still young and inexperienced. He did something unheard of. He married a commoner in direct defiance of the law and he got away with it. He must have liked her because they produced twenty-two kids. Having that many kids running around snuffed out any temptation Impa may have had to retire as Chancellor and return to the nursemaid profession in her remaining years. There's something to be said about being career-minded.

THANKS A MILLION FOR READING

©2006 Joseph Kerner


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